I finally posted a YouTube video, here’s how you can do the same

Young me would be so proud

Countless hours spent vicariously adventuring with the likes of Casey Neistat and capturing the world with Peter Mckinnon.

I saw their progress, stood by them during their creative funks, and felt their victories as if they were my own.

Their stories were raw, real, and inspiring. They made me believe that I could create something just as meaningful, just as impactful. But for years, the thought of actually hitting "upload" paralyzed me….actually that wasn’t entirley true, the upload button may have been slightly scary, but I truly didn’t have anything worth sharing with the world.

I had excuses - plenty of them. "I don't have the right camera." "My editing skills aren't good enough." "What if people don't like it?" All valid concerns, but at the core of it, I was simply afraid of being seen, of putting myself out there and risking failure.

That changed recently.

One day, I stumbled across a piece of advice that hit me like a ton of bricks: "Your first video won't be great, but it has to exist for your hundredth video to even be possible." It was so simple, but it broke down the perfectionism I'd been carrying like a weight on my shoulders.

I grabbed my phone, ignored the imperfections, and filmed. Nothing fancy - just me sharing a piece of my world, unscripted and raw. I fumbled my words, worried about lighting, and wondered if the background noise would annoy people. But I kept going.

Editing was another hurdle. Every time I replayed my footage, I found something to criticize. But instead of stopping, I embraced the process. I taught myself a few basic edits, added music I loved, and reminded myself that done was better than perfect.

When the video was finally ready, I stared at the "upload" button for what felt like forever. My finger hovered, my heart raced, and a thousand "what ifs" swirled in my head. But then I thought of young me - watching Casey and Peter, dreaming of creating - and I hit upload.

The views trickled in slowly, and guess what? The world didn’t end. No one tore me down. In fact, a few kind souls left encouraging comments. And just like that, I realized the hardest part was over.

If you’ve been hesitating to share your creativity with the world, here’s my advice:

• Start with what you have. Your phone is enough. Your voice is enough. You are enough.
• Embrace imperfection. You’ll get better over time, but you can’t improve something that doesn’t exist.
• Focus on the why. Why do you want to create? Who are you hoping to inspire? Hold on to that purpose when doubt creeps in.
• Celebrate every milestone. Whether it’s your first upload, your first comment, or your first subscriber, let those small wins fuel you.

Looking back, I can’t believe I waited so long to take the leap. But now that I have, I can’t wait to keep creating and improving. One video down, a lifetime of stories to go.

So, what are you waiting for? Pick up your camera, press record, and hit upload. Young you would be so proud.