Hi guys! Well its been a little while since I blogged, but hopefully you haven't missed me... ;)
Have been feeling a little blue today. Nothing has really inspired me. I can't feel that surge of excitement that I normally have somewhere deep inside. Perhaps I'm just having 'one of those days' or maybe I'm suffering from SAD. I really don't know. Its hard to be upbeat all the time I guess.
Anyway, I was really happy with yesterdays video. It was thrown together in an evening but turned out amazingly well I hope you'll agree(!) it was really awesome to pay a tribute to the late, great Bill Hicks. I hope he would have enjoyed the composition and editing.
Today though, I feel drained. Work has been really quiet and I haven't got the same vigour that I normally have. I do try to put a lot of effort into whatever I do but all I want these days is to be creative.
My biggest problem is that my mind always looks at opportunity in a romantic way. I don't see the whole picture sometimes. When I do, it becomes less exciting and it starts feeling much less interesting.
This is helping though. It's cathartic...lol
I'm currently sat waiting for a bus and its already a clear 15 minutes late. I could complain, but sadly that wouldn't get me home any quicker. I'd much rather claim my national right as a British citizen to sit here and moan about it. So consider yourself moaned at...
Right I need to get back to waiting so I leave you with best regards til we speak again.
Peace.
Snare
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Wednesday, 1 September 2010
...One Month Later
Hello Blog Readers.
Its been almost a month since I posted anything, and to be honest – its completely my fault. I feel bad whenever I get grand ideas that in the wings there is always a niggle, a worrying realisation that what I can see as the great vision ends up as cutting room floor garbage – never to be seen by the public.
This has happened a lot recently. Many times I’ve had a bout of creative mania, followed by a small hiccup – a small infraction of focus which inevitably leads to my downfall.
I want to blog more but it gets harder when a) it doesn’t pay the bills; and b) you have my sense of waivering motivation. I haven’t had a problem doing the last 243 daily vlogs this year, but I want them to be so much more. I want to entertain people and give them a sense that I’m taking this project seriously.
Of course there have been times when the daily vlogs have come under attack (especially by me) and leave me floundering for inspiration. But somehow, I find the words and the time to put something together. I just hope that the next 122 videos have the same luck.
Anyway guys – I need to stop blogging and start working as I’m officially back on the clock(!)
Take care until next time,
SVD
Thursday, 5 August 2010
Change is always good...
What is it with people in shops? It seems that there are still people who love nothing more than fishing around in their purses and wallets for exact change even though there is a queue of people want to use the services of the shop!!?!?
I had two of them in front of me just now. Both of them didn't have an ounce of foresight between them. It felt like an eternity waiting for them to dig around for pennies when all I wanted was a single item and I was late for my bus... (I know, the heady heights of fame hasn't reached my commuting style yet...)
But I made the bus in the end and at least it gave me a chance to have a mini rant about something on my way home.
You see? I am trying to update this blog more...lol
Anyway, I am on my way home now with the exciting prospect of putting up some shelves. Wow. My life knows no bounds when it comes to evening entertainment...
Take care guys, hope to speak to you soon...
Snarevandamm.
I had two of them in front of me just now. Both of them didn't have an ounce of foresight between them. It felt like an eternity waiting for them to dig around for pennies when all I wanted was a single item and I was late for my bus... (I know, the heady heights of fame hasn't reached my commuting style yet...)
But I made the bus in the end and at least it gave me a chance to have a mini rant about something on my way home.
You see? I am trying to update this blog more...lol
Anyway, I am on my way home now with the exciting prospect of putting up some shelves. Wow. My life knows no bounds when it comes to evening entertainment...
Take care guys, hope to speak to you soon...
Snarevandamm.
Monday, 2 August 2010
On the bus...
Just a quick test of me being able to blog on the bus. It's a grand thing in this day and age that I can sit on a bus and type away without even thinking about the dark days when I had to be hardwired for this kind of thng. I'm really excited by all the ideas coming into my head lately. It's like I'm having some kind of digital renaissance all by myself...!
Hope you are all lovely today though. It's a hot one here on the bus. All these people have no idea what I'm doing...heh heh...
One of the nicer things about bus travel is the view. It gets better when you can sit on the top deck, combined with not having to concentrate on driving. Part of my journey involves going over a toll bridge with a particularly good view of the city. Some people may not consider that a view, but it's still nice to see far and wide.
Anyway that's all for now, I might consider doing this more often if I get the chance...
Peace,
Snare.
Hope you are all lovely today though. It's a hot one here on the bus. All these people have no idea what I'm doing...heh heh...
One of the nicer things about bus travel is the view. It gets better when you can sit on the top deck, combined with not having to concentrate on driving. Part of my journey involves going over a toll bridge with a particularly good view of the city. Some people may not consider that a view, but it's still nice to see far and wide.
Anyway that's all for now, I might consider doing this more often if I get the chance...
Peace,
Snare.
Monday, 26 July 2010
Long time...No Blog...
I know, I know. Its been too long since I updated this blog. But there has been a lot of activity in the SVD camp lately. A few days ago I received an invitation to become a FULL YouTube partner which I was ecstatic about. It was one of my aims for this year, and to have achieved it by mid july was an incredible feeling.
I felt like I was suddenly able to do this video ‘thang’ with a bit more focus, as I’d been recognised by YT as being worth having in their infamous partnership program. At this point I have no idea what to do with this honour, but it has made me think about all the aspects of my presence online and I’ve even purchased my very first domain name:
http://www.snarevandamm.co.uk/
I’d like to eventually set up a small website which would include the blog, embedded videos and perhaps even a store!!! (of course I can hear the demand for Snare t-shirts building already…LOL)
Anyway – life has been very busy and now that I am almost fully settled into the new house, perhaps I can focus on getting some of the items on my list underway…
Apologies for the short blog today – especially after not updating for so long. I will try to fit in another chunk of prose very soon…
Stay safe,
Snare Van Damm
I felt like I was suddenly able to do this video ‘thang’ with a bit more focus, as I’d been recognised by YT as being worth having in their infamous partnership program. At this point I have no idea what to do with this honour, but it has made me think about all the aspects of my presence online and I’ve even purchased my very first domain name:
http://www.snarevandamm.co.uk/
I’d like to eventually set up a small website which would include the blog, embedded videos and perhaps even a store!!! (of course I can hear the demand for Snare t-shirts building already…LOL)
Anyway – life has been very busy and now that I am almost fully settled into the new house, perhaps I can focus on getting some of the items on my list underway…
Apologies for the short blog today – especially after not updating for so long. I will try to fit in another chunk of prose very soon…
Stay safe,
Snare Van Damm
Monday, 31 May 2010
Think About It...
Good evening folks.
Today was one of those days that just fucking happened. although my movements were planned, I managed to produce a video today that I am really proud of. I cannot take complete credit of course, as my YouTuber-at-arms SiCurious was at hand to help with fooling the audience into a false sense of security by the magic of camera angles.
I've posted the video below if you are still curious. (I'll give you guys a moment, meet me back here...)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...Right.
I just wanted to blog for two reasons today, firstly because I haven't in a long while and it wouldn't be much of a blog if I posted once a year...(!) and secondly because i wanted to talk about what the video make me ponder everytime I see it.
The video delves into the themes made most famous by THAT scene in 'Being John Malcovich' where everyone is the same, speaking only "Malcovich". I didn't go quite that obtuse, but its certainly an homage to the great concept of confusion by familiarity.
We have all probably experienced this feeling when things are too much like 'before' whether it be an old girlfriend, why we keep making the same mistakes and probably why we always end up looking for faults within ourselves.
In fact, I was having a discussion with a friend the other day about how to be feel better about themselves and be awesome. It all boils down to being able to love yourself. This is an underrated and under-practiced skill. No-one becomes awesome overnight, and there will still be people in this world that will dislike you if you do - even if you cure world hunger and bring about world peace. you would be guaranteed that some little arse-face would make you out to be worse than Hitler munching on a baby sandwich.
The key part to understand is that the road to being awesome is a state of mind, where you take each step of the journey one piece at a time. Just like eating a breakfast of cereal, bacon and eggs and two cups of tea; you cannot put that in a blender and consume at once. You might be able to get it down, but you might choke, puke or worse, never have breakfast again...
An awesome person would simply eat the cereal with a spoon and get through it piece by piece while sipping awesomely on their awesome tea. By the time they finish, they will have had a truly awesome breakfast; not choking, puking, or fighting off some horrible bout of heartburn...!
...My long awaited point is that when you feel that life isn't fun anymore, you have to realise that you are right. Life isn't fun. Fun is an emotion that we create inside ourselves. Whatever we feel, is not caused by the outside world, its how we choose to deal with it. Inside.
So next time you are trying to eat the burger of life in one bite, remember that life is what you make it, and how you choose to do that is completely and utterly up to you.
Peace,
Snare Van Damm
Today was one of those days that just fucking happened. although my movements were planned, I managed to produce a video today that I am really proud of. I cannot take complete credit of course, as my YouTuber-at-arms SiCurious was at hand to help with fooling the audience into a false sense of security by the magic of camera angles.
I've posted the video below if you are still curious. (I'll give you guys a moment, meet me back here...)
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...Right.
I just wanted to blog for two reasons today, firstly because I haven't in a long while and it wouldn't be much of a blog if I posted once a year...(!) and secondly because i wanted to talk about what the video make me ponder everytime I see it.
The video delves into the themes made most famous by THAT scene in 'Being John Malcovich' where everyone is the same, speaking only "Malcovich". I didn't go quite that obtuse, but its certainly an homage to the great concept of confusion by familiarity.
We have all probably experienced this feeling when things are too much like 'before' whether it be an old girlfriend, why we keep making the same mistakes and probably why we always end up looking for faults within ourselves.
In fact, I was having a discussion with a friend the other day about how to be feel better about themselves and be awesome. It all boils down to being able to love yourself. This is an underrated and under-practiced skill. No-one becomes awesome overnight, and there will still be people in this world that will dislike you if you do - even if you cure world hunger and bring about world peace. you would be guaranteed that some little arse-face would make you out to be worse than Hitler munching on a baby sandwich.
The key part to understand is that the road to being awesome is a state of mind, where you take each step of the journey one piece at a time. Just like eating a breakfast of cereal, bacon and eggs and two cups of tea; you cannot put that in a blender and consume at once. You might be able to get it down, but you might choke, puke or worse, never have breakfast again...
An awesome person would simply eat the cereal with a spoon and get through it piece by piece while sipping awesomely on their awesome tea. By the time they finish, they will have had a truly awesome breakfast; not choking, puking, or fighting off some horrible bout of heartburn...!
...My long awaited point is that when you feel that life isn't fun anymore, you have to realise that you are right. Life isn't fun. Fun is an emotion that we create inside ourselves. Whatever we feel, is not caused by the outside world, its how we choose to deal with it. Inside.
So next time you are trying to eat the burger of life in one bite, remember that life is what you make it, and how you choose to do that is completely and utterly up to you.
Peace,
Snare Van Damm
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
Long Time NO SEE!!!
Do you ever get that feeling that everyone else is having a much better time than you? I do today – its just a short message and I apologise for not writing much at all lately, but I’ve been very busy moving house etc… if you also include the daily vlogs, its quite a time consuming …er… time.
Well I hope you are all cool, and I wanted to talk today about balance. Most of the discussions I have daily are about balance in one way or another. Work and non-work, good and evil, time for you and time for others… it can get quite stressful finding time to be not stressed.
I haven’t really got a lot to talk about today. My mind seems to be all over the place and I can never get to the place I want to be. Have been feeling the envy building up of all the celebrities on twitter today – they have things worth tweeting about every day, exciting new challenges and experiences. Sadly for the most of us its humdrum everyday. I don’t want to run the country, but I’d love to just kick back and work on the things that make me and my family happy.
The easiest way to achieve this is to win the lottery. But that really isn’t a career choice. Yet.
I want to create stuff. Music. Video. Articles. Maybe I should try writing a few things and get them published… now that’s an idea. Only problem is finding the time to write. LOL
…maybe that could be my first article. HA HA!!!
Anyway – enough from me, I’ve spewed brain vomit for 15 mins on here, and now I can draw from this for tonight’s vlog. Maybe… but we shall see…
Stay safe people.
Snarevandamm
Well I hope you are all cool, and I wanted to talk today about balance. Most of the discussions I have daily are about balance in one way or another. Work and non-work, good and evil, time for you and time for others… it can get quite stressful finding time to be not stressed.
I haven’t really got a lot to talk about today. My mind seems to be all over the place and I can never get to the place I want to be. Have been feeling the envy building up of all the celebrities on twitter today – they have things worth tweeting about every day, exciting new challenges and experiences. Sadly for the most of us its humdrum everyday. I don’t want to run the country, but I’d love to just kick back and work on the things that make me and my family happy.
The easiest way to achieve this is to win the lottery. But that really isn’t a career choice. Yet.
I want to create stuff. Music. Video. Articles. Maybe I should try writing a few things and get them published… now that’s an idea. Only problem is finding the time to write. LOL
…maybe that could be my first article. HA HA!!!
Anyway – enough from me, I’ve spewed brain vomit for 15 mins on here, and now I can draw from this for tonight’s vlog. Maybe… but we shall see…
Stay safe people.
Snarevandamm
Saturday, 3 April 2010
Vlogging Update
Well hello to loyal followers of the ramblings of snarevandamm. As you can probably gather – my contribution to the written blog of late is quite lacking. In fact, some of you who don’t follow my daily vlogs on YouTube would probably think that I had popped my lil’ vlog-clogs and moved on to pastures pearly…
Fear not though, as I have found a window of opportunity to write some musings and say hello to you through the wonderful medium of the blogosphere. Today I’d like to comment on my current pastime. My second job. Vlogging.
Today is day 93 of the 365 vlog and things are beginning to take their toll. I’ve survived many a week posting something everyday, and for the most part I’ve enjoyed making hours and hours of video featuring…well…me.
As an average, I’ve made 92 videos with an average length of about 4.5 mins… So in total I’ve filmed 414 minutes (that 6 min short of 7 hours) and probably spent 10 times that editing and uploading… so when you do the math, as an estimate, by the end of the year I will have spent 12.5 DAYS making videos…THAT’S ABOUT 3% OF MY YEAR...!
*gulp!!!!*
Although I love the project enough to carry on posting new videos everyday, the aspect that gets to me the most is the impact on my life. There has not been a single day this year (no joke) that I have been able to sit down and just do nothing. Not one. This is because at some point during the day I need to make a video. This promise that I have made myself, this cross I now have to bear, has meant that I never really, truly relax.
Some nights I wake up in a cold sweat screaming… - ok maybe not but I hope you can see my point.
But lets get this into perspective.
I love making videos, and I love the interaction with my subscribers. It makes me feel part of something special. Just imagine that years from now, I can look back at my half-month experience of video as a testament to commitment, determination and selfless introspection… Or, as most people will probably do, look at a few and say “what a weirdo”
I’d actually like to devote more time to the vlog, actually show bits of my life through video, but I fear that may aid my descent into madness, and not the “he’s so crayzee!” sort of way. I mean the scribbling jibberish on walls and eating moths sort of way.
As time goes on, it will be harder and harder to even contemplate quitting the vlog. I’m getting close to a 3rd of the way through, and it actually puts the whole concept of time into perspective. Now don’t worry people, I’m not chewing on a moth as I write this, but every day I know what the date is. And everyday I can look back at how I was feeling. What I was thinking. Its seems to me that only after 90-odd days making the “Big Vlog” that I actually understand what the vlog is, and what it aims to do.
It is my memory, my diary. It is the way that I have made my journey through 2010 immortal.
...and i also like watching myself...LOL
Now, before I finish I just want to say to you all:
HAPPY EASTER
I hope you all got lots of eggs… :)
Until next time,
Snarevandamm
Fear not though, as I have found a window of opportunity to write some musings and say hello to you through the wonderful medium of the blogosphere. Today I’d like to comment on my current pastime. My second job. Vlogging.
Today is day 93 of the 365 vlog and things are beginning to take their toll. I’ve survived many a week posting something everyday, and for the most part I’ve enjoyed making hours and hours of video featuring…well…me.
As an average, I’ve made 92 videos with an average length of about 4.5 mins… So in total I’ve filmed 414 minutes (that 6 min short of 7 hours) and probably spent 10 times that editing and uploading… so when you do the math, as an estimate, by the end of the year I will have spent 12.5 DAYS making videos…THAT’S ABOUT 3% OF MY YEAR...!
*gulp!!!!*
Although I love the project enough to carry on posting new videos everyday, the aspect that gets to me the most is the impact on my life. There has not been a single day this year (no joke) that I have been able to sit down and just do nothing. Not one. This is because at some point during the day I need to make a video. This promise that I have made myself, this cross I now have to bear, has meant that I never really, truly relax.
Some nights I wake up in a cold sweat screaming… - ok maybe not but I hope you can see my point.
But lets get this into perspective.
I love making videos, and I love the interaction with my subscribers. It makes me feel part of something special. Just imagine that years from now, I can look back at my half-month experience of video as a testament to commitment, determination and selfless introspection… Or, as most people will probably do, look at a few and say “what a weirdo”
I’d actually like to devote more time to the vlog, actually show bits of my life through video, but I fear that may aid my descent into madness, and not the “he’s so crayzee!” sort of way. I mean the scribbling jibberish on walls and eating moths sort of way.
As time goes on, it will be harder and harder to even contemplate quitting the vlog. I’m getting close to a 3rd of the way through, and it actually puts the whole concept of time into perspective. Now don’t worry people, I’m not chewing on a moth as I write this, but every day I know what the date is. And everyday I can look back at how I was feeling. What I was thinking. Its seems to me that only after 90-odd days making the “Big Vlog” that I actually understand what the vlog is, and what it aims to do.
It is my memory, my diary. It is the way that I have made my journey through 2010 immortal.
...and i also like watching myself...LOL
Now, before I finish I just want to say to you all:
HAPPY EASTER
I hope you all got lots of eggs… :)
Until next time,
Snarevandamm
Wednesday, 3 February 2010
Blurry Vision
Well yesterday was fun. I woke up with blurred vision and thought nothing of it to start with. I think everyone has days when they wake up and take a while to ‘come round’ from a night of deep slumber.
On my way into work I noticed that my vision was still blurred and started to get worried. It was at least 30 minutes that I had been awake and by that time I would have expected to have my normal vision back. So while sat at my desk I still had blurry vision but noticed that it was only in one eye. It was like my brain was saying “deal with this… he’ll never work this one out…LOL”
Yes, my body talks in l33tspeak. Moving on…
So I determined that my vision had indeed gone a bit wonky in my right eye and mentioning it to my boss, they suggested I get down to the EYE casualty unit at the hospital to get it checked out – I mean I could have something serious going on and this could be the first sign.
My decision was slightly hampered by the fact that I have a penis. We men are rubbish with health ‘things’. It’s like we are admitting we have a fault or showing the world that we are weak. I just put it down to being lazy. But after being bullied to book something in, I reluctantly did so to ensure my ears weren’t the next thing to need hospital treatment.
I finally phoned up the hospital and got an appointment for 4.15pm, so of course it meant an early clock off but when I got there, I knew it would take hours to get seen and sorted.
After booking in with the receptionist, I sat down and was surprised how quickly the first hour went by before I was seen by a care assistant who checked my vision. Covering up my good eye, I read the chart. Not bad I thought, but it was fuzzy. As soon as I changed eyes, I could easily see that I’d made a mistake. However I got to the second line from the bottom, even with my bad eye. It seems most people who go to casualty don’t have very good eyes…LOL
After seeing the nurse (the 2nd of four people I sat with) she made the decision to put dye and dilating drops in my eyes.
Let me tell you. That fucking hurt. It was as if someone had just rubbed chillies in both my eyes. It subsided pretty quickly, but it was especially kind of the nurse to tell me it was going to sting AS SHE PUT THE BASTARD DROPS IN MY EYES…
After that I had two separate doctors look into my eyes and they both came to a consensus that I didn’t have anything visibly wrong with my eyes.
Great. Now I feel like a fraud I thought.
Nevertheless I had come through unscathed and happy that nothing was found like a typical bloke. “What was the worry” I thought.
So as I was getting ready to leave and jangling my car keys on my way out through the door it suddenly occurred to the receptionist to tell me that I couldn’t drive for four hours while my pupils were dilated. As I walked outside I realised why. The world was a brighter place, but equally as offensive to my new inability to focus on anything less than 6 feet in front of me.
I tried to text a friend to come and pick me up and drive my car home, but it took ages to work out what I had typed…LOL
The story ends well, with me getting home with massive puppy dog eyes and pupils the size of dinner plates.
Feel sorry for me, as the example of a typical bloke who actually went to see a doctor.
Til next time,
Snare.
On my way into work I noticed that my vision was still blurred and started to get worried. It was at least 30 minutes that I had been awake and by that time I would have expected to have my normal vision back. So while sat at my desk I still had blurry vision but noticed that it was only in one eye. It was like my brain was saying “deal with this… he’ll never work this one out…LOL”
Yes, my body talks in l33tspeak. Moving on…
So I determined that my vision had indeed gone a bit wonky in my right eye and mentioning it to my boss, they suggested I get down to the EYE casualty unit at the hospital to get it checked out – I mean I could have something serious going on and this could be the first sign.
My decision was slightly hampered by the fact that I have a penis. We men are rubbish with health ‘things’. It’s like we are admitting we have a fault or showing the world that we are weak. I just put it down to being lazy. But after being bullied to book something in, I reluctantly did so to ensure my ears weren’t the next thing to need hospital treatment.
I finally phoned up the hospital and got an appointment for 4.15pm, so of course it meant an early clock off but when I got there, I knew it would take hours to get seen and sorted.
After booking in with the receptionist, I sat down and was surprised how quickly the first hour went by before I was seen by a care assistant who checked my vision. Covering up my good eye, I read the chart. Not bad I thought, but it was fuzzy. As soon as I changed eyes, I could easily see that I’d made a mistake. However I got to the second line from the bottom, even with my bad eye. It seems most people who go to casualty don’t have very good eyes…LOL
After seeing the nurse (the 2nd of four people I sat with) she made the decision to put dye and dilating drops in my eyes.
Let me tell you. That fucking hurt. It was as if someone had just rubbed chillies in both my eyes. It subsided pretty quickly, but it was especially kind of the nurse to tell me it was going to sting AS SHE PUT THE BASTARD DROPS IN MY EYES…
After that I had two separate doctors look into my eyes and they both came to a consensus that I didn’t have anything visibly wrong with my eyes.
Great. Now I feel like a fraud I thought.
Nevertheless I had come through unscathed and happy that nothing was found like a typical bloke. “What was the worry” I thought.
So as I was getting ready to leave and jangling my car keys on my way out through the door it suddenly occurred to the receptionist to tell me that I couldn’t drive for four hours while my pupils were dilated. As I walked outside I realised why. The world was a brighter place, but equally as offensive to my new inability to focus on anything less than 6 feet in front of me.
I tried to text a friend to come and pick me up and drive my car home, but it took ages to work out what I had typed…LOL
The story ends well, with me getting home with massive puppy dog eyes and pupils the size of dinner plates.
Feel sorry for me, as the example of a typical bloke who actually went to see a doctor.
Til next time,
Snare.
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
Happiness is a dish best served daily...
In a world full of bad things happening, it’s important to remember what makes you happy. The way in which we view the world actually affects us both mentally and physically. If I start out the day thinking its going to be crap, then it most probably will be. When I look at some of the most successful people I know, I don’t look at them and see them acting negatively and spreading the gloom. Great leaders know how to inspire and act as an example.
The problem starts when you hit your first obstacle of the day. For me, it’s when I look at the mornings emails. If there is a large amount of stuff directed at me (– things to do) then I start feeling overwhelmed and will probably slow down as a result. I’m an active person at work and if I begin to feel beaten into submission, then the day is all but lost.
There are things that can bring back the optimism in my day, apart from the end of the working day – in fact the art of being happy is just appreciating what you have. Not the material things; they have no life in them. It’s how you use them and enhance your life. A DVD player doesn’t make you happy, but watching a great movie with close friends or family makes it a happy activity.
Another thing is that we don’t laugh enough. Most days (to most people I presume) feel like slog. Working for the weekend is so true in many peoples’ lives. But there is no reason that someone cannot have fun while working. In fact if I was working somewhere that didn’t allow me to vent a giggle now and again – I’d have to leave.
Not much to mull over today, but I hope this has made you think about your perspective on life. If you can’t chuckle at least one thing a day, then life is a waiting room for you. While I am chatting to other people waiting just like you, we are both waiting to go through the brown door. Once we do we can’t come back. (That’s another blog) but when that happens, I won’t have wasted my time watching the clock.
So please, tell someone you care about that you care.
It’ll make you happy.
Until next time,
Snare.
The problem starts when you hit your first obstacle of the day. For me, it’s when I look at the mornings emails. If there is a large amount of stuff directed at me (– things to do) then I start feeling overwhelmed and will probably slow down as a result. I’m an active person at work and if I begin to feel beaten into submission, then the day is all but lost.
There are things that can bring back the optimism in my day, apart from the end of the working day – in fact the art of being happy is just appreciating what you have. Not the material things; they have no life in them. It’s how you use them and enhance your life. A DVD player doesn’t make you happy, but watching a great movie with close friends or family makes it a happy activity.
Another thing is that we don’t laugh enough. Most days (to most people I presume) feel like slog. Working for the weekend is so true in many peoples’ lives. But there is no reason that someone cannot have fun while working. In fact if I was working somewhere that didn’t allow me to vent a giggle now and again – I’d have to leave.
Not much to mull over today, but I hope this has made you think about your perspective on life. If you can’t chuckle at least one thing a day, then life is a waiting room for you. While I am chatting to other people waiting just like you, we are both waiting to go through the brown door. Once we do we can’t come back. (That’s another blog) but when that happens, I won’t have wasted my time watching the clock.
So please, tell someone you care about that you care.
It’ll make you happy.
Until next time,
Snare.
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Merchandise Mania…
Hi guys and girls… its that time again when I get the time on my lunch break to jot down what goes through my head. A couple of thoughts lately that I have been mulling over is the idea of merchandise.
I really need to be careful with this idea. Start small perhaps. I don’t want to just end up having a bunch of stuff with my face on it – that would be a) creepy & b) more painful if no-one bought it… ;)
I’ve had the idea to launch a range of t-shirts to start with. It should be quick to set up an online shop somewhere and maybe use eBay as well. I’ve always thought about making some t-shirts with designs that are appealing for people to wear and more importantly – pay for!
I also thought that I could make some designs to be part of my YouTube ‘empire’. At this point it is not really viable to try and sell t-shirts based on my YouTube presence. Eventually I would really like to have the chance to produce designs based on my YouTube channel, but before I can even think about doing that, I need to sort out a final style for the channel itself - The colours, the shapes, etc. Once I have that down, perhaps I can work on certain designs and work out what looks the best. However, I think as time goes on (and I get closer to the 4-figure subscriptions) I can still spend and evening here, a weekend there, working on those quite frankly life changing designs. ;)
I have no idea when I will get around to launching the designs, but I already have a few ideas and will try to get them in shape before I ‘release’ them onto the unsuspecting public. (Heh heh...)
I hope that one day I get to see someone wearing a t-shirt I’ve created - that would be absolutely amazing. *goes into dream world*
Well, I can live in hope…LOL
So until tonight,
Peace.
Snare.
I really need to be careful with this idea. Start small perhaps. I don’t want to just end up having a bunch of stuff with my face on it – that would be a) creepy & b) more painful if no-one bought it… ;)
I’ve had the idea to launch a range of t-shirts to start with. It should be quick to set up an online shop somewhere and maybe use eBay as well. I’ve always thought about making some t-shirts with designs that are appealing for people to wear and more importantly – pay for!
I also thought that I could make some designs to be part of my YouTube ‘empire’. At this point it is not really viable to try and sell t-shirts based on my YouTube presence. Eventually I would really like to have the chance to produce designs based on my YouTube channel, but before I can even think about doing that, I need to sort out a final style for the channel itself - The colours, the shapes, etc. Once I have that down, perhaps I can work on certain designs and work out what looks the best. However, I think as time goes on (and I get closer to the 4-figure subscriptions) I can still spend and evening here, a weekend there, working on those quite frankly life changing designs. ;)
I have no idea when I will get around to launching the designs, but I already have a few ideas and will try to get them in shape before I ‘release’ them onto the unsuspecting public. (Heh heh...)
I hope that one day I get to see someone wearing a t-shirt I’ve created - that would be absolutely amazing. *goes into dream world*
Well, I can live in hope…LOL
So until tonight,
Peace.
Snare.
Monday, 18 January 2010
The Big Vlog – Reflections past Day 17
Hi everybody.
“The Big Vlog” (as it has become known) is going strong with some great new videos added over the weekend. I love it when I get the chance to film something that ends up as polished as episode 16. It was a standard eating challenge but I had great pleasure in editing that masterpiece into something that I now take great pride in showing off to my subscribers.
As it stands, I am nowhere near quitting this project and still have the drive to continue and hopefully gain enough subscribers that I may breach that threshold of 1000. If I manage to complete that, then I will be one happy YouTuber.
I think the key to the project is that I cannot allow myself to rely on webcam uploads to achieve the dizzying heights of 4-figure subscriptions. As always, the mantra from so many successful YouTubers is to ensure you have good quality, original content. Now, of course the original part isn’t a problem, hey, I’ve been rambling at a webcam for about 90% of this years videos! But the good quality is my current stumbling block. I do feel that my current editing set up is holding me back, and the speed at which I can produce polished articles of audio-visual wonderment (go with me here) is greatly reduced.
I’m positive that with the help of a new iMac, the YouTube possibilities would be like a horizon appearing at the top of a steep hill. Suddenly I’ll be able to see what is possible, and hopefully be able to do it in half the time.
One interesting point to mention is that it is the bad workman in me that wants to blame my tools; the quality of my videos is the stuff that will bring people to my channel. The right kind of people.
“Now hold on a minute” I hear you say. “Are you a racist?” you cry. No, I am referring to the kind of subscribers can have a massive effect on your viewing figures, repeat viewings, ratings, comments, basic interaction. Although I have around 350 subs at the moment, not all of them are tuning in everyday. There could be a number of reasons, but I would expect my videos to gain viewings into the 100’s within a few days. Sadly, at the moment the vlogs are not getting the attention I’d like them to get.
Apologies for not entertaining you with the blog today, but I want to use this as thinking pad for my current, year long vlogging experiment.
If you have been reading, thank you.
Til next time,
Snare
“The Big Vlog” (as it has become known) is going strong with some great new videos added over the weekend. I love it when I get the chance to film something that ends up as polished as episode 16. It was a standard eating challenge but I had great pleasure in editing that masterpiece into something that I now take great pride in showing off to my subscribers.
As it stands, I am nowhere near quitting this project and still have the drive to continue and hopefully gain enough subscribers that I may breach that threshold of 1000. If I manage to complete that, then I will be one happy YouTuber.
I think the key to the project is that I cannot allow myself to rely on webcam uploads to achieve the dizzying heights of 4-figure subscriptions. As always, the mantra from so many successful YouTubers is to ensure you have good quality, original content. Now, of course the original part isn’t a problem, hey, I’ve been rambling at a webcam for about 90% of this years videos! But the good quality is my current stumbling block. I do feel that my current editing set up is holding me back, and the speed at which I can produce polished articles of audio-visual wonderment (go with me here) is greatly reduced.
I’m positive that with the help of a new iMac, the YouTube possibilities would be like a horizon appearing at the top of a steep hill. Suddenly I’ll be able to see what is possible, and hopefully be able to do it in half the time.
One interesting point to mention is that it is the bad workman in me that wants to blame my tools; the quality of my videos is the stuff that will bring people to my channel. The right kind of people.
“Now hold on a minute” I hear you say. “Are you a racist?” you cry. No, I am referring to the kind of subscribers can have a massive effect on your viewing figures, repeat viewings, ratings, comments, basic interaction. Although I have around 350 subs at the moment, not all of them are tuning in everyday. There could be a number of reasons, but I would expect my videos to gain viewings into the 100’s within a few days. Sadly, at the moment the vlogs are not getting the attention I’d like them to get.
Apologies for not entertaining you with the blog today, but I want to use this as thinking pad for my current, year long vlogging experiment.
If you have been reading, thank you.
Til next time,
Snare
Sunday, 17 January 2010
Saturday, 16 January 2010
Friday, 15 January 2010
The Big Vlog Continues...
Apologies Guys & Gals.... its been a bit tardy in posting the vids on the ol' blog here.
Here are the last few days videos!
Until tomorrow,
Snare
Monday, 11 January 2010
Reflective thoughts on “The Big Vlog” so far
Well hello my loyal blog followers. What a magnificent 10 days it has been so far. The project I set out to do on January 1st has grown each and every day in ways I had not anticipated. Since I started vlogging every day, mostly about random things I have started to see some interesting activities of my subscribers. I now have a collective known as “The Snared” who follow each vlog and interact on different levels. Some post a comment; others have taken the time out to post a video response – although some are comedy at my expense…LOL
The effort I am putting in has also been rewarded by new subscribers and friends made on YouTube. In fact, since the 1st I’m gaining an average of 2 subscribers a day, which is phenomenal success so early in the process. If this trend continues, then should well be on target to reach my 2010 goal of 1000 subscribers.
Yes. You heard correctly. One thousand.
Of course to reach that goal I have to put the work into my videos, and spend the time uploading good quality content if I want to succeed. I really wish I could have nailed that ethos from day one, instead of meandering around YouTube looking for that one viral video that would rocket me out of obscurity and into…well… obscurity actually.
I realise now that what I want out of YouTube is longevity. I don’t want to ever be yesterday’s news. I want an active, loyal subscriber base that will want to see my videos and also want to get involved with me and my opinions. If my videos are considered funny by some then - brilliant. Outstanding. If not, then I hope they are still entertaining enough to warrant someone returning for the next.
I’ve been bitten by the bug so much now, that I don’t want it to ever end. It sounds premature – even to me, but if the first ten days are anything to go by, then I’m in for a good year. I intend for my subscribers to join me on my ups and downs, good times and bad, but overall I understand my place in YouTube now.
I am a provider. My videos will hopefully become part of someone’s day and I just hope that it ends up being a good bit.
Until tonight,
Snare.
The effort I am putting in has also been rewarded by new subscribers and friends made on YouTube. In fact, since the 1st I’m gaining an average of 2 subscribers a day, which is phenomenal success so early in the process. If this trend continues, then should well be on target to reach my 2010 goal of 1000 subscribers.
Yes. You heard correctly. One thousand.
Of course to reach that goal I have to put the work into my videos, and spend the time uploading good quality content if I want to succeed. I really wish I could have nailed that ethos from day one, instead of meandering around YouTube looking for that one viral video that would rocket me out of obscurity and into…well… obscurity actually.
I realise now that what I want out of YouTube is longevity. I don’t want to ever be yesterday’s news. I want an active, loyal subscriber base that will want to see my videos and also want to get involved with me and my opinions. If my videos are considered funny by some then - brilliant. Outstanding. If not, then I hope they are still entertaining enough to warrant someone returning for the next.
I’ve been bitten by the bug so much now, that I don’t want it to ever end. It sounds premature – even to me, but if the first ten days are anything to go by, then I’m in for a good year. I intend for my subscribers to join me on my ups and downs, good times and bad, but overall I understand my place in YouTube now.
I am a provider. My videos will hopefully become part of someone’s day and I just hope that it ends up being a good bit.
Until tonight,
Snare.
Sunday, 10 January 2010
Saturday, 9 January 2010
The Big Vlog 9/365
Hi guys - Thankfully I managed to pre-empt any problems with YouTube, and get this posted before midnight...
Peace to all who watch it...
Until tomorrow,
Snare
Friday, 8 January 2010
The Big Vlog 7/365
Morning... I had such trouble uploading this - I pulled all my hair out. Don't believe me? here's the proof:
Thursday, 7 January 2010
Horse-play on words...(see what i did?)
Okay – I just HAD to post this blog…
There are times in a mans life when he feels lonely and in need of comfort. The warm touch of a woman (or man if you are so inclined) means the world to you and lifts your spirits enough to get through these cold, wintery months.
Some people find gratification through other means…
Man accused of having sex with a horse and a donkey:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/8444134.stm
Seriously. WTF!!!?!?!?!?
Either this guy is super-endowed or he is just in need of some intense mental treatment and/or prison.
Oh how the reason behind some of the activities of our great nation elude me sometimes.
Until tonight,
Snare.
There are times in a mans life when he feels lonely and in need of comfort. The warm touch of a woman (or man if you are so inclined) means the world to you and lifts your spirits enough to get through these cold, wintery months.
Some people find gratification through other means…
Man accused of having sex with a horse and a donkey:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/leicestershire/8444134.stm
Seriously. WTF!!!?!?!?!?
Either this guy is super-endowed or he is just in need of some intense mental treatment and/or prison.
Oh how the reason behind some of the activities of our great nation elude me sometimes.
Until tonight,
Snare.
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
The Big Vlog 6/365
Hi people - I just spent the last few minutes uploading this beauty...
See you tomorrow folks...
Until then,
Snare.
Let It Snow...
Wow. Snow is quite an amazing thing. Here in England, all it takes is a few flakes to fall on the ground, and the country halts.
Well where I live in the south, we almost can guarantee to never get snow. Any that falls will melt on contact with…er…anything, or instantly transforms into brown sludge. It’s that post code oxymoron that you live in England where the weather is mostly shit, but you end up living in a place where the weather never gets to extremes. I feel sorry for most people around here, as the public are hideous at preparing for adverse conditions. If it’s a bit cold; if it’s a bit windy; if the porch door won’t close properly – as a collective we all panic. Its madness.
Why don’t we all learn from these episodes of snow drifts, floods and hurricanes that a few simple steps can make most peoples’ lives much easier?
I’m no survival expert, but I’ve only just googled snow spikes for shoes (I’m fed up with hearing that people are scared of slipping and therefore don’t come to work) and for a few quid, you walk hobble about in non-slippy wonderment.
If you drive, always keep a shovel and torch in the car as well as some water and rations of food. You never know when weather like this will happen again, and it’s better to be prepared!
…I’m still waiting for the world to crack in half and the new ice age to rise with dawn over the British Isles. Oooo… wont that be fun?
Well I’m leaving work early today which means I may have enough time to edit a decent vlog for tonight. If you are reading this, then thank you. Please don’t forget to subscribe to regular videos at www.youtube.com/snarevandamm if you fancy it!!!
Until tomorrow / tonight
Snare.
Well where I live in the south, we almost can guarantee to never get snow. Any that falls will melt on contact with…er…anything, or instantly transforms into brown sludge. It’s that post code oxymoron that you live in England where the weather is mostly shit, but you end up living in a place where the weather never gets to extremes. I feel sorry for most people around here, as the public are hideous at preparing for adverse conditions. If it’s a bit cold; if it’s a bit windy; if the porch door won’t close properly – as a collective we all panic. Its madness.
Why don’t we all learn from these episodes of snow drifts, floods and hurricanes that a few simple steps can make most peoples’ lives much easier?
I’m no survival expert, but I’ve only just googled snow spikes for shoes (I’m fed up with hearing that people are scared of slipping and therefore don’t come to work) and for a few quid, you walk hobble about in non-slippy wonderment.
If you drive, always keep a shovel and torch in the car as well as some water and rations of food. You never know when weather like this will happen again, and it’s better to be prepared!
…I’m still waiting for the world to crack in half and the new ice age to rise with dawn over the British Isles. Oooo… wont that be fun?
Well I’m leaving work early today which means I may have enough time to edit a decent vlog for tonight. If you are reading this, then thank you. Please don’t forget to subscribe to regular videos at www.youtube.com/snarevandamm if you fancy it!!!
Until tomorrow / tonight
Snare.
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
The Big Vlog 5/365
Hey everyone. I saw this and thought of you:
Happy January 5th!
Until tomorrow,
Snare.
Monday, 4 January 2010
The Big Vlog 4/365
Enjoy my pretties. Lap up your daily dose of your favourite YouTube legend... ;)
Until tomorrow,
Snare.
The Big Vlog 2010 - Explained (sort of)
Hi All...
Well I guess I had better explain myself. Over the last few days you have been flooded with pseudo-blog entries devoid of much written word and I hope you have missed it. :P 2010 has been begun now, with a mammoth project that I intend to make a reality.
I decided at the end of last year to record a video for YouTube everyday during 2010. So far I’ve been successful – but hey, it’s only the 4th of Jan… Nevertheless, I have the bug back for making videos and I have realised what has been holding me back all this time. To start with I thought it was simply inspiration. I was constantly looking for that topic of discussion. For that video that would go viral. Needless to say, I haven’t found that magical meme.
My blog a few weeks ago talked about my digital presence, and I had some food for thought posted back on the comments which was great, but in order to honour that interaction I am required to do something about it.
Making a video every day this year sounds daunting, but when I realise that I can post a sound byte via a webcam should the worst happen I feel like I’m supplied with a safety net. Where ever I am in the world, whatever my health is at the time, I know I can speak to my subscribers on YouTube and keep my promise.
A few things have been said by my friends on YouTube that I need to be careful of two things:
1) Burnout.
2) Saturation.
I can sit here and pontificate what the likelihood is that these will occur or I can start to work on way to ensure they do not happen.
“Fail to Plan is to Plan to Fail”
I am approaching this project as committed as I can be, which helps when you have an addictive personality like I do. However, with this committal, I cannot ignore the need to be fluid, the need for dynamic thinking and the drive to ensure those daily vlogs are made.
Burnout is a concern, whether it be a lack of topic or getting plain sick of vlogging…! There may be times when I just don’t feel like talking to a camera. All of these scenarios need to be overcome if I am to achieve a full 365 videos this year.
A bigger concern for me is Saturation, but not for the obvious reason. If my content is good enough, then I think it should be possible to post everyday and not cause people to lose interest.
Aims for 2010
So…If you have read this blog, you will be aware that I have a desire to succeed in the digital space. I’ve had tastes of success which of course have helped with the work involved on YouTube, but there are many other avenues that I’m considering and will be announced once final plans have been made.
Although I will be posting a video everyday, (usually via a webcam upload) my goal is to have a daily vlog and on occasions I will have the time to post something more edited and ‘polished’. It’s important that I showcase what I can do as a comedy video as well as maintaining a relationship with the YouTube audience and most importantly, my subscribers.
Apologies for making this sound a bit like a mission statement, but I wanted something I could look back on and reflect when necessary.
This year will be fun but hard work. I need all the support I can get.
Til tomorrow,
Snare.
Well I guess I had better explain myself. Over the last few days you have been flooded with pseudo-blog entries devoid of much written word and I hope you have missed it. :P 2010 has been begun now, with a mammoth project that I intend to make a reality.
I decided at the end of last year to record a video for YouTube everyday during 2010. So far I’ve been successful – but hey, it’s only the 4th of Jan… Nevertheless, I have the bug back for making videos and I have realised what has been holding me back all this time. To start with I thought it was simply inspiration. I was constantly looking for that topic of discussion. For that video that would go viral. Needless to say, I haven’t found that magical meme.
My blog a few weeks ago talked about my digital presence, and I had some food for thought posted back on the comments which was great, but in order to honour that interaction I am required to do something about it.
Making a video every day this year sounds daunting, but when I realise that I can post a sound byte via a webcam should the worst happen I feel like I’m supplied with a safety net. Where ever I am in the world, whatever my health is at the time, I know I can speak to my subscribers on YouTube and keep my promise.
A few things have been said by my friends on YouTube that I need to be careful of two things:
1) Burnout.
2) Saturation.
I can sit here and pontificate what the likelihood is that these will occur or I can start to work on way to ensure they do not happen.
“Fail to Plan is to Plan to Fail”
I am approaching this project as committed as I can be, which helps when you have an addictive personality like I do. However, with this committal, I cannot ignore the need to be fluid, the need for dynamic thinking and the drive to ensure those daily vlogs are made.
Burnout is a concern, whether it be a lack of topic or getting plain sick of vlogging…! There may be times when I just don’t feel like talking to a camera. All of these scenarios need to be overcome if I am to achieve a full 365 videos this year.
A bigger concern for me is Saturation, but not for the obvious reason. If my content is good enough, then I think it should be possible to post everyday and not cause people to lose interest.
Aims for 2010
So…If you have read this blog, you will be aware that I have a desire to succeed in the digital space. I’ve had tastes of success which of course have helped with the work involved on YouTube, but there are many other avenues that I’m considering and will be announced once final plans have been made.
Although I will be posting a video everyday, (usually via a webcam upload) my goal is to have a daily vlog and on occasions I will have the time to post something more edited and ‘polished’. It’s important that I showcase what I can do as a comedy video as well as maintaining a relationship with the YouTube audience and most importantly, my subscribers.
Apologies for making this sound a bit like a mission statement, but I wanted something I could look back on and reflect when necessary.
This year will be fun but hard work. I need all the support I can get.
Til tomorrow,
Snare.
Sunday, 3 January 2010
3/365 - The Journey Continues...
Wow - YouTube took FOREVER to upload this. I hope you enjoy and I promise some written blog is coming soon...
Until then,
Enjoy.
Snare.
Saturday, 2 January 2010
Friday, 1 January 2010
365 days = 1 project
Hey there blog readers. I've decided to embark on a legendary amount of videoing for 2010... Everyday I will post a video. Who know what it will be. What will be said.
However, I hope you can help spread the word...
That's all for now,
Snare
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