How to stay motivated as a YouTuber
Being a YouTuber requires a lot of self discipline and creativity, but sometimes it can be hard to keep the motivation up. Sometimes, you naturally break out of it but sometimes you need a bit of help to get back on track.
No matter what career you’re in, there are going to be days where you ask yourself ‘should I quit?’. Everyone experiences times where they’re down and their heart isn’t in it. Motivation is lacking, your creativity is shot and you’re in a state of creative depression. How do you break out of the funk? Sometimes, you naturally break out of it and get back to work. Other times, you’re going to need a bit of help to rediscover your motivation. Our hope is that this post will help you find that passion and confidently step forward!
Remember where you’ve been and why you started
Sometimes when motivation is lacking, it’s because you’ve lost the forest from the trees. When your subscriber, view or comment count don’t seem to be going up as quickly (or at all), it’s easy to be disheartened. This is where you should take a step back and look at all you’ve accomplished. You’ve put in countless hours already and grown your channel. If you need a reminder of where you’ve been, go take a look at your first 10 videos. They may make you cringe, but that means that you’ve grown dramatically as a creator. If they don’t make you cringe, they may help you rediscover the motivation you started with in the first place! Once you realize all that you’ve accomplished, or how you’ve grown, you’ll be able to find new motivation to tackle the next edit and upload!
Talk to other YouTubers
There is no better person to talk to when the times get tough than someone else in your field. As a YouTuber, you have an enormous wealth of creators you can find online. Hopefully, some of your closest friends are also creators making talking to them even easier. What you’ll generally find is that your lack or lost motivation is a common experience. Everyone goes through periods where things aren’t clicking. Talking with others will help you figure out a solution, or at the very least, help you sleep a bit better at night know you’re not alone!
Experiment with something new
Sometimes when you lose your motivation, it’s because you’re bored of what you’re doing. The best way to break out of a creative funk is to try something completely different. Experiment with different forms of content on your channel. Try a new editing technique. If your content is usually very serious, try to create a lighter video instead. You could even explore live streaming on YouTube. By experimenting with something new, you may find the passion you had for creating when you first started.
Work on the business behind your channel
One of the best ways to work on your channel when you’re lacking motivation is to do planning behind the scenes. While your focus may be on creating content, lost motivation for creating can be a good time to dig into the business of your channel. Figure out videos that generate the most revenue. Look into potential brand partners. Develop a plan to grow your channel. Basically, put all your effort into something less creative and more formal – the business operation of your channel. It is a good chance to help set you up for success when your creative motivation returns.
Don’t compare yourself to others
Too often when our motivation takes a hit, it’s because we’ve looked at someone else’s success/achievements and wondered why we weren’t there. Your journey is different than everyone else’s, so comparing your own channel to theirs won’t help. Instead, compare yourself to yourself! Look back through your channel and learn from your successes and failures.
Be authentic and create what you love
If you’ve been creating content that you don’t love creating, your motivation may never return. You should ALWAYS be creating content that feeds your desires and motivations! Your audience will see when something you’re creating is disingenuous which can make your channel growth slow, or stop completely. Find your passions and build your content around it. A great example of this in action is Pewdiepie. Felix has changed his content style many times over the years as his passions changed. From gamer to commentary, to comedy, to book club and alcohol reviews. And now, Meme Review. *clap clap* He does what he loves, and his audience continues to consume his content. Do the same! Be authentic!
Are you a YouTuber? Whether you’re an editing master or just a beginner, discover what Epidemic Sound has to offer on our Epidemic Sound for YouTube page. And, just in case you’re looking for some sound effects for YouTube, we got you covered.