I started a second channel this summer, named it FemmeLife, and have been filling it with bits and pieces from my life.

I’m still figuring out what exactly I want it to be, but I keep going because while I can’t exactly put my finger on it yet I know there’s something positive coming out of it.

I want to expand it into more than just a vlog channel, and I will, but when I stop “filming” I miss it. It challenges me and I wanted to dig into what I’ve discovered so far.

+ So, I’m really shy when it comes to filming in public. I can get b-roll shots of where I’m at, but how other vloggers walk down the street talking to their camera amazes me.

+ It’s a great way to document my life, and it acts as a visual journal in a way. Sometimes my days can blend together a bit, but this helps me go back and have a little jolt of memory.

+ I think I’m going to rename it. When I started it I wanted it to be another arm of FemmeHead, a behind the scenes, so I named it FemmeLife, which I like, but it’s not quite there for me. I’ve been really leaning towards just using my name, which would open me up to do whatever I wanted with it.

+ It challenges and motivates me. I never do things “for the vlog” but it is a great way to reflect on my days and to look back and say, wow you really didn’t accomplish anything yesterday, or look how much you were able to do!

+ It challenges and motivates others. I can’t tell you how many people have commented that I’ve motivated them to go for a run or how inspiring my attitude/lifestyle/etc. is.

+ I get this creative fix out of editing the videos. It feels like there’s more freedom for creativity and to be a weirdo than on my main channel.

+ Because I work from home I’m alone most of the day, which I love because I’m so much more productive, but things will happen and I’ll want to share it with someone, talk to someone about it, and I can do that through vlogs.

+ I got a smaller camera (Canon g7x) which makes vlogging so much easier. I also use my iPhone for when I don’t want to carry around that camera or for those times I want to film something without being “obvious”.

Ok, so maybe you’ve played around with the idea of making some vlogs:

+ You don’t need fancy equipment or programs. Use the camera on your phone and iMovie, or whatever editing program comes with your computer.

+ Get a variety of shots. I always enjoy my videos (not to mention editing the ones) that have more b-roll.

+ Quality over quantity. If I have a bunch of meh footage each day I’ll take the best clips and make a weekly vlog out of it instead of forcing something out of nothing for a daily vlog.

+ Everyone says this but be yourself in all of your quirks and weirdness, viewers will enjoy watching that more.

+ Share only what you’re comfortable with. You don’t have to tell your audience everything, keep some stuff to yourself.

+ Along that same line don’t share other people’s life without asking them first. if it’s not your story don’t share it without permission because some people don’t want their life to be out on the internet.

+ While having a variety of good shots to chose from a lot of the magic comes in the editing process. How do you cut the clips and piece them together. Do you speed stuff up, slow stuff down, add music? Let your creativity come out.

+ Going along with that, you’re more than welcome to take inspiration from other people’s videos, but don’t copy what they’re doing. Every heard of Casey Neistat? He has a distinct vlogging style and it’s very obvious when others copy that style in their own vlogs. Be your own person.

+ Continuity: does your story flow? If you start talking about something but then your next clip is something completely different how can you transition into that better or explain it? Some people are really good with soothing voice overs, but I don’t ever like voice overs, so I like to add text overlays to explain what’s needed.

In the end there’s a lot to learn, but so much room and flexibility when it comes to playing around with making videos. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. You can (and will) continuously be changing and tweaking how you do it. Don’t be afraid to give it a go. Put yourself out there!