Hey friends,
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Anyway, let’s talk about something I often get questions about – creativity. I had a minor epiphany about that recently that I’d love to share with you. Here’s the story – this week, we published a YouTube video where I showed how I transformed my tiny room in Hong Kong into a glamorous studio (watch here if you fancy 😉).
At the start of the video, there was a transition shot where I snapped my fingers and the entire studio setup changed. It might just be one of my favorite things I’ve done in years.
The idea wasn’t entirely “original”. I first saw something similar in a Peter McKinnon video 7 years ago, where he used a finger-snap transition to show how to transform a terrible lighting situation into something amazing for less than $50.
Then about 4 years ago, I came across a tutorial about snap transitions on a random YouTube video. The real magic, I learned, was in the audio – you keep the echo of the snap going while the visual changes. That makes it feel way more realistic than just doing a straight cut.
I guess my subconscious mind stored these two events, from 7 and 4 years ago, to the point where when I was setting up my new studio, I thought “omg this is finally my chance to copy that snap transition”. After filming and editing the opening, I excitedly showed a few friends, some of whom commented along the lines of “wow that’s so creative”.
That got me thinking – I never used to consider myself a creative person, because I felt I wasn’t very original. But there’s that quote from Steve Jobs: “Creativity is just connecting things”.
The first bit of that quote is the “connecting” part. What looked like others to be “creative” in this case, was me connecting two YouTube videos I watched years ago, and applying it to my new living situation.
But the second bit of the quote is the “things” part. To connect things, you need to have things to connect. It sounds obvious, but I often speak to aspiring YouTubers who don’t spend much time watching YouTube videos. Or increasingly to aspiring writers, who don’t spend much time reading.
I’ve found that it’s always worth “consuming” (urgh I hate that word) the “content” (I hate that word too) within the field you’re creating in. I suspect Christopher Nolan probably spends a good chunk of time watching movies, for inspiration.
But of course, it’s also good to consume content (urgh) outside of your own field. In every biography I’ve read, or every interview I’ve watched from any successful visionary creator or entrepreneur, they always have a bunch of eclectic interests outside of the field they work in. And they always credit those interests with a lot of their best ideas.
As a creator, you never really know which piece of content is going to be useful later. That tutorial you watch today might combine with a book you read next month to create something entirely new. It’s all just background processing until something clicks.
In our Part-Time YouTuber Academy Q&As, students are often impressed when I can reference specific thumbnails or video styles from months ago. It’s not because I have superhuman memory – it’s just what happens when you enjoy the craft you’re doing, and enjoy seeing what others have created within it.
This is where the magic happens. That snap transition in the video is a combination of:
- A lighting technique from 6 years ago
- An audio trick from 4 years ago
- Various other bits and pieces I’ve picked up along the wayÂ
So here’s what I’m thinking this week – if you’re trying to make it as a creator, consuming content isn’t just fun, it’s part of the job. But don’t just stick to your niche. Watch different types of content, read books, watch movies. Sometimes the best ideas come from unexpected places.
Have a great week!
Ali xx
