“Almost all creativity involves purposeful play.”
Abraham Maslow.
Hi Sparklers,
WELCOME to our Saturday chat thread, today’s topic - VIDEO (on Substack)!
I hope my headline isn’t too inflammatory. It’s tongue in cheek really. I believe there is SPACE and an audience for any medium you choose or a combination of them all.
I studied TV and Film at University alongside literature and theatre. I’ve always been a multi-passionate creative. As you know, I LOVE live video for connection, I’ve also warmed to audio. This has been a journey, it’s taken time and it’s been born out of play, creative expression and letting perfectionism take a long walk in the woods…1
It’s also part of KNOWING what my creativity is asking of me…
Are you curious about using video here on Substack?
Perhaps you’ve already ruled it out?
Perhaps it’s a capacity thing or a confidence thing or a decision making thing?
Let’s lean into video for connection to our community here…
We are spending the month of June bringing attention to VIDEO here on Substack.
How do we feel using video as a medium?
Should we use it?
How can we use it?
How could we get more comfortable using it?
How does the tech work, how can we get prepared and why is our video also a podcast?!
The magic ingredient? Storytelling for connection with our audience/ readers…
If you are curious about how video can help you connect with your readers, paid members and how to use it here come to our session on Monday!
Details here -
Here’s a YouTube video I made a little while back on the topic of Substack video if you’re keen to get going… I pop a couple of tutorials on YouTube most months so do subscribe over there.
And here’s one using the inbuilt Substack video viewer…
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Incase you missed it
On audio for growth and connection
Loved these two notes from
on audio too…Comments, thoughts, questions?
I’d love to hear from you in the comments below….
Are you thinking of using video here on Substack? Perhaps you already are? How’s it going for you?
Claire
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PS - I have a masterclass coming up you might be interested in. How to turn your IG content into a Substack Publication. (Included for Diamond Members, replay will be available for all paid subs). Grab your ticket to come live here.
PPS - My pal and incredible artist, author and illustrator
is here - she’s planning some WONDERFUL things (maybe even some video) and doesn’t know anyone here yet - go give her a subscribe/ follow?If you are feeling terrified at the thought of audio or video please know I can support you. That was me 7 years back and I put myself through training, mindset work and an environment that supported me to play to get to where I am now.
I love video. And thrilled Substack has made it so much simpler for us to share. But It can be scary, overstimulating, and loud. But it can be a wonderfully gentle means of self-expression, sharing stories and make deeper connections, without feeling pressured to show your face if you're not inclined to.
Yesterday, I wrapped up a five day art challenge using daily videos and it was a great experience both for me and fellow creatives. Since I began posting here, I've been exploring various strategies of sharing video on this platform, and there's a real ease in editing and sharing videos again. It feels like the early days when I would upload a raw video on facebook without editing or great sound, and still get a lot views. I am not getting significant views here, but I would never dare to share such unedited video without sound on instagram or any other platform than Substack.
You can say, I have so much to say about video, hahaha. It’s easier for me to do a video than to write a post. I guess that comes from my background and expertise in video production and video coaching —I could chatter endlessly about the highs and lows of video.
But quite honestly, I’m tired of the fast pace of reels just to grab three seconds of your attention. So video on Substack feels like a reenergising surge of creative energy, reigniting my passion for making videos again. So I'm inspired to exploring ways to help fellow artists and creatives embrace the power of video, crafting it into a beautiful art tool that aligns with their personal brand🌼🌷
Ive been using video in my posts for a little over a month ish ... I have really enjoyed it, mine are just a few minutes and I've used it primarily to talk about books/reading ... I've now decided to dedicate one post a month to books/reading (Book Lovers Chat 📚) so it has it's own space to develop and that's where I see my videos sitting (rather than in my Slow Sunday Letters 💌 which are framed around Slow and Gentle Living)
I'm extremely new to video and have no skills whatsoever lol (I'm a point and shoot in one take!) but I'm looking forward to learning and developing more. It's been a great way to feel more connected to my subscribers. I've kept it spontaneous and organic when I actually film so I don't get too in my head or nervous about it.