What went well?

• My first video about quitting my job was a great success. As I write, it has 53k views, and I've gained 3k subscribers and lots of encouraging comments. Masha Allah.

• I've had more time to focus on my creative projects distraction-free. It took me a week or two to adjust to not feeling pressured about work responsibilities.

• Social media is a game of numbers (unfortunately), and getting many views on my first video caught the attention of Adorama, a team I deeply admire. It's an honour to be asked to write for them, and it's an excellent opportunity for creative expression and earning. The link to my first article is at the end of this email. Masha Allah.

• I attended a solo filmmaker event and made new connections. They want to show my short film "I Quit" at a cinema, where I will present it, followed by a Q&A session in front of an audience.

• I am excited that I just made my first sale of my Vintage Lightroom Presets! The 17 presets are designed to bring a vintage flair to photos for various occasions with just one click. It's currently available for just $9.99 (originally $14.99) until August 26th 2024 with the code MUJI-HIGH-FIVE. Click here to play with the presets live, no obligation to buy

• I have also approached a big organisation as there seems to be some interest from their side in either buying my photos or letting me commission a photography and documentary-style project. Fingers crossed!

• My wife has been a great pillar of strength. She has helped me refine my ideas and work. Without her, I don’t think my I Quit video would have had such a strong script.

• Overall, the first two months have been a confidence booster, and I believe we are moving in the right direction.

What didn’t go well/What’s in my mind?

• I come from a fast-paced corporate environment, and in my role for the last eight years, I have had to constantly think about “cost” and “benefits.” I keep looking at my bank account and seeing money going out on daily expenses and nothing coming in. This is not a surprise, and I planned for it, but I am still learning to adjust.

•  I am still nervous. I was afraid of it, and it’s happening now. I keep looking at my YouTube statistics: “Am I getting more views and subscribers?” “how close am I to getting monetised through YouTube ads"?” “damn, I am on my own now”.

• Although I have made two videos so far, the I Quit video gave me a bit of a high. I tried to stay humble, thank God for it, not boast about it, and remind myself that the hard work didn’t end there; I relaxed slightly. The two videos completely consumed my efforts, but I feel I can do more, such as making more shorts and reels and uploading more photos. 

• My second video is a great effort, but I didn’t do much analysis in terms of what people would like to see. I made it because I was passionate about the topic of depression. It hasn’t received a response regarding numbers and subscribers (see, I keep thinking about numbers).

How can I improve?

• I must constantly remind myself that I envision building a community where I share my stories about life, motivation, nature and travelling. Community building takes time. Subscribers are NOT NUMBERS. They are people who give me time. 

• I must focus on quality and make videos that I am passionate about and that my audience wants to see.

• Do your best, and money will follow. You have given yourself almost two years to set a foundation; don’t lose sight of your goals.

• Keep sharing your knowledge, learn, grow and repeat.

• If you want to examine your YouTube statistics, do that, but learn from them instead of trying to induce a dopamine effect.

Okay, that’s it. I'm sorry it was a long email. I hope it gave you an insight into a creator’s life. Below is a link to my article for Adorama.

Kind regards

Muji