I was starting to wonder if I would ever see a notification from this channel again. Welcome back. P.S. I know you likely don't remember me, but you reviewed one of my videos one time and gave me some inciteful critiques that I've done what I can to apply them. Thank you!
i feel like everyone, who only cares about books, has already left and everyone that's still here cares about what you do, no matter what it is and is just happy to see you on here again :) I went to your channel to see when I started watching you and damn, I've been here since at least the red queen video and honestly, I am so excited to see what you will put out next, I know it will be great, your short films are so good!
I agree. I mean, if it's one thing the pandemic has taught us, it's that film-making is an art form that isn't built on an unshakable foundation. Sure, we've had over half of a century of quality films and movies, and even though we may some day return to "normal," what's to say another virus doesn't come along or something that causes people to isolate again for the long term. The fruit from this seed has shown that the element that has survived is the technology. Being able to blog or vlog from your home location has given many creatives opportunities that wouldn't have existed otherwise. Take Cindy for example - with her explosive growth and dedicated fan base, she's posed to be able to make a solid living simply by reviewing and critiquing literature and that's amazing. The creative potential to adapt to our surroundings is what makes the real talent stand out. it's sad that the previous generation of art forms is currently drowning under water but those that are quick to adapt to the change will be the ones that survive. What a time to be alive!
Thank you for making this video it is very very relatable!!!! And a relief to hear someone else feeling like this, watching this definitely made me start to realise some things about myself and art related comfort zones. I’m feeling so stuck at the moment and this made me feel less alone:)
great to hear from you again jordan!! I can definitely say that as an artist too, it gets really hard to "be yourself" if you ascribe to industry goals. I personally never went to art school and wrote it off after seeing my SO suffer through a semester of it...I just feel like the best way an artist can express themselves is if they have unlimited possibilities and they can "fail" by industry standards yet succeed in personal standards. I hope your artistic journey can continue to be successful in the future!
So happy to see you back Jordan! I'm so grateful for this video cause I've been struggle with creative work these past months too. Add up so many zoom meetings with my colleagues over time frustates me cause I need to see someone's body language to help me read people, cause I'm not very good at socializing, I hate indirect convo, which is exactly what we need to do in a pandemic
It's so good to see you again Jordan. Thank you for sharing, it connected so much, I almost cried. I can't wait to see what you're bringing here. Ps. Total side note but when you spoke about stories through photos I couldn't help thinking it's be epic to see a stop motion video from you. Hope to see you again soon.
It’s good to hear from you again, Jordan. Testing the limits of your creativity and trying new things are definitely pieces of advice worth giving. For a while, I stopped writing micro-fictional fantasy stories because it felt like I was writing the same story over and over again: two characters with some sort of grudge go at each other. The reasons were different, the circumstances were different, but the formula was the same. It was time for a change, so I started writing nonfiction essays and memoirs more often. The variety is there. Plus, nonfiction was something I used to do a lot of back in the 2000’s. The difference between then and now is that I’m more seasoned with my skills and therefore can tell a more coherent story. There’s another piece of advice I agree with you on: never stop learning. This whole video spoke to me in some way or another. Thanks for coming back to You Tube and being open and honest with us. I appreciate that!
I only found your channel over the summer of 2020, sat at home with a newborn and trying to write and read and delving into YA reviews. I enjoyed your rant reviews, but really enjoyed watching your videos on breaking down tropes and creating characters. I think you make great points here about creativity and will look forward to seeing where your channel takes you next. May 2021 help you dig deep in your creativity well!
I can understand the frustration you're feeling. I too am an inspiring artist, though I want to be an author, and have had my life racing about me. I wrote and published a western/horror short story last year and one in March and have been trying to get my writing career off the ground, despite some of the monster videos I've been editing on RU-vid and my job that has unpredictable hours. I spent six months writing a fifty two page story that I liked, but found some of the plot threads unsatisfying and decided to extend it. Putting it simply, in my rewrite I was adding context for some of the plot holes and character motivations and decided that instead of publishing a small little story with some satisfying horror, I could make a genuinely good story out of it with fleshed out characters, setting, ect. So, to establish everything correctly I've written twenty pages, making the language more eloquent instead of just blandly stating what is happening, to establish what happened in nine pages of my original manuscript. The point is that I understand being stressed because of too many restrictions on yourself. I was determined to write a awesome short story that simply wouldn't physically fit in that format and it was stressing me out because I was having a hard time making it work. So, I decided instead to flesh everything out that was already there, rather than stretch a story out that clearly supposed to be shorter with filler scenes. I've been giving characters a bit more personality and made them more interesting, even if some of them are easy to hate because of their behavior. I decided to give the story as much room to breath as it needed and thought about trying to create something compelling, rather than a cheesy horror trope. So, yeah. This year's been hard on all of us. Life is like that sometimes. People give too much credit to 2020 in my opinion, as if it has some sort of unique power. This will not be the last 2020 and the best we can hope for is to strive to be better and meet the next one head on, with a firm head on our shoulders.
Wonderful to hear from you Jordan! It's been one strange year all right... I am so sorry film school has been disrupted for you, especially given how hard you worked and how excited you were when you got in. I'm sure you've had several moments where you're just, urgh, seriously?! I'm sorry you've had such a tough time. I really hope everything gets better, and it's awesome you are doing your creative exercises... I remember doing something different but similar a few years ago when I went through a really bad time. Let's all hope and pray 2021 brings more joy, peace and stability to everyone and the world. Of course I hope to see some more book videos from you, whatever they may be! TBH, I always just appreciated your insight and take on a book, regardless of whether you were particularly critical or not. Read what makes you happy, and read what you're in the mood for... that's something I've learned and that has brought me comfort this year. All the best with everything!
This year has definitely been challenging in a lot of ways, but I am grateful for what it's made me realize about myself at least. Thank you for the thoughtful comment. Hope you're doing well and staying safe!
Omg your back! I’ve been binge watching your videos for the past week and god your so intuitive and your logic is very interesting to hear. Thanks for making this video :)
I feel ya, Jordan, I really do. I hope that this 15-day project will get you inspired. I’ll happily take any kind of art you’ll want to put out. Good luck, hoping this year’ll be successful for you!
Fantastic video, Jordan! I'm glad to use your time to sort through your feelings and find new ways to enjoy your old pursuits again. Looking forward to whatever you put out next! :)
I will always care about whatever you put up on your channel! I'm so excited to see you are back! ❤💗❤💗 I personally am excited to see more film related videos and vlogs when and if you have the time to put those out! 🙋♀️
Hey Jordan! I've had the same issues having done a two year full time media degree at college, but with 2020 being my final year and just managing to finish my last project (alongside a remaining GSCE) led to me being incredibly exhausted. To the point of having both a combination of writer's block as well as several mental breakdowns. And while I was among the few of my class who succeeded, that last term ended in a underwhelming fashion since we were undable to have a good send off. But that said, it has given me the chance to rest and regain my energy in some way due to the current circumstances, and with a chance to refurbish my room (and the first time I'll be having one properly) means I can move forward with ideas in a new creative space. Then eventually head elsewhere to expand further. I am hoping this will be my year to possibly finish/publish my debut novel, but we'll see how it goes for 2021. And I hope you find success right now too, even with all the chaos happening around us, so wishing you the best of luck! 😘❤️🙏 Also, if you don't recognise the profile name, it's Deborah Kelty (just renamed for my future RU-vid channel). 😁
Yay im so glad to see you again. I get what you mean and i hope you find that passion again. I've always liked your book videos but i also like the way your mind thinks and breaks things down. It's different from how messy and all over i am haha. So I'm looking forward to what you'll be doing next. 😊 This year I've been so jealous of people with time. All my time is just gone. So i feel like what's the point in creating, if i don't have time? I don't have passion for things i was excited about. I'm stuck in this routine and the only way out is to make a leap of faith (financially) and that's terrifying lol. It's really scary to test the limits sometimes but sometimes we have to, right?
I was so happy when I saw a video from you in my notifications this morning. Ironically I was watching one of your book reviews from like two years ago just last night. I definitely get what you mean with the whole being in a tough place creatively. I was like that over a year ago before COVID and I got creative burnout because I was focused on a single story for a long time (I’m a writer and hoping to be a published author one day). So into 2020 I went and very early on in the year, I realized I needed to take a step away from the story world I was working on and focus on a new story, which I did. Took me nearly all year to get into a good mindset for this new story but I’m finally in a good stable one to write consistently and efficiently. I have a good plan for the next few weeks as far as my writing journey goes. I think it’s important to take things step by step and to not rush the creative process. Like everyone else here I’d love to see more videos from you into the new year but your well-being and honing your creative process is much more important. Take it step by step if you need to.
A friend of mine once told me, "Creativity and inspiration make good friends, but they are terrible masters." I'm glad you are engaging in the 15 day challenge to do something creative whether you feel creative and inspired or not. I'm looking forward to the changes in your channel and what it will look like in the future.
I had no idea about your photography experience, but I really feel this as a creative, I’m an actor and singer but I also do portrait painting and getting back into that has been really creatively fulfilling since acting opportunities are so limited now. However, I’m trying not to pressure myself into making this time supper productive because it’s a pandemic and I’m succeeding by surviving Rn. At any rate, this video really hit me where I’m at and I’m glad to see your face on my feed again
Hey Jordan, thank you for coming back to talk with us. I remember finding your channel in late 2016, at the time I was frustrated by booktube, and honestly, you were the only booktuber I could stand to watch. Maybe it's because I needed to hear someone validate my thoughts on awful books when nobody in my real-life circle read and everyone on booktube was too superficial. At one point I wanted to start a booktube channel just to express my thoughts on "Why YA bad." I look at my videos idea list now and I laugh because I just don't read enough YA anymore to make those videos. Turns out it's better to read less than to read books you know you won't enjoy. I relate to this video a lot as a writer. I have my own struggles and it's so weird to be an artist during the pandemic. In the earlier months, I was like "this is great, I can finally write" and then proceeded to cap at 25k words for the next 6-8 months... I can't finish anything because everything I start eventually turns into hot garbage. I flip-flop from saying "Nobody will want to read this if I write it this way" to "I'm writing this for me, so who cares" every month. I've been writing "seriously" since I was in the fifth grade and although I do see some growth in the quality of my writing it's never enough. It's hard to get perspective on my writing because I'm ashamed to show it to my close friends and I just don't know enough people. I know we live in the most connected generation in the history of the world, but I can't help but feel so disconnected from everyone else. As a creative who is working on a technical degree, I didn't have the time to spend learning how to get better at writing (and other art forms) in a traditional school setting so most of the education I get is from youtube. Your videos were really helpful in gaining a better perspective on writing and they were a lot of fun, so thank you so much. Time has changed and even if you aren't planning to make any videos on books in the future I will still support and watch any videos you do make. Have a good new year!
Thank you so much for this super sweet comment! I can definitely relate to questioning one's artistic ability and being scared to get critique from friends and family. Maybe there's another writer (even one online) that would be willing to do a critique swap?
Really missed your videos, my friend. I know you're really busy during this phase of your life with film school, but its always nice to see a new video from you. It is really interesting to see how Covid is affecting people creativity. But just remember, when you're out there making your movies, just make sure you don't do anything that would have Tom Cruz cuss you out about. lol. Stay safe.
Hi Jordan! Welcome back. It's been so long and I'm so glad to see you here. Question. Are you a fan of DC/Marvel? If so, in honor of the release of Wonder Woman 1984, I think you should do a video on the topic of Batman vs Wonder Woman. In it, you should talk about aspects of each character and use certain stories as examples because, really, who doesn't love to see Batman get his ass kicked by Wonder Woman? He had his ass handed to him by her in "A League Of One" and "The Hiketeia" and she could do it a thousand more times. Hope you like this idea! Glad you're back.
Yay, you’re back!! I’m so excited :) Thanks for talking about this. As a fellow creative person, I’ve had a lot of trouble during the pandemic, too. It’s nice to hear someone else share similar problems (even though I wish none of us were having them).
Comedian George Carlin made a conscious decision to disappear for like ten years so that he could reinvent himself in a way that wouldn't instantly alienate everyone. I think it's impossible to overstate how much power you have over your own creativity. A while back I had convinced myself that maybe I just couldn't do what I once believed I was capable of, anymore. At the time I was talked into attending film school, and while my time there didn't last long, I was instantly awash with ideas. Where did all that creativity come from? I know a place of learning is an inspirational environment, but unless we get really new-agey about it, there is nothing magical about going to class, and I noticed a difference before I was well acquainted with any people or concepts that I had been previously unfamiliar with. Like I said the change was pretty much instantaneous. Same this year. For fun I just started writing fan fiction again, and despite everything going on in the world, and my own health problems, it was consistently better written, in my opinion, than I thought it could be. I couldn't help thinking: "There's no reason I shouldn't be able to do this with my own writing." Don't get me wrong neither of these are career success stories, by any stretch. They're kind of sad actually - but they _are_ stories of creative success, and a glimmer of *personal* artistic achievement, and I am genuinely self-assured by that. Even if things are boring right now, no matter how bad your memory memory might be, or how young you are, unless you're a vegetable somewhere inside that head you have an entire life experience to draw from, including - to some extent - the secondhand experiences of others. Hell, dreams are proof that we can build worlds in our _sleep!_ Recently I've been thinking of taking up meditation as a means of mining this creative potential. Maybe you should try it. I can't advocate for it anecdotally yet, but research seems to indicate its benefits are varied and significant.
I know that there’ll probably be some people who are upset at you not doing booktube stuff anymore, but personally I’m just glad to see you making anytime at all. You seem much happier with your creativity and honestly it doesn’t matter what people think of what you put out as long as you personally are getting something out of it. So, I’m here to keep watching whatever you put out, no matter how long you need to make it. I’m glad that you seem much more creatively fulfilled and hope that you’re able to stay that way as long as possible ❤️
We miss you gal ! you're one of my favorite critiquers ! so no more book reviews (which I will miss) but what about your film critiques they were great too ! I love your blunt honesty and your commitment to creativity which allows you to see the potential for fixing things ! Also have you heard of Franz Szony I just learned about him recently, his works are highly photoshopped and AMAZING. Your stylized photos remind me of his work.
@@JordanHarveybooks OMG his photos are CRAZY ! He just did a podcast with Trixie and Katya a couple weeks ago, and I'm not a photographer but I found his interview kinda inspirational. Love ya gal ! It's always so surreal when a RU-vidr you look up to messages you back !
First of all so glad to see you back and I dig this setting change. Second of all as a writer I really relate to what you said, I used to write exclusively fantasy but when the pandemic happened I got fewer ideas for fantasy elements. However, I still felt the need to write because I had too many thoughts. So I experimented and wrote a contemporary for NaNoWriMo and weirdly I think it ended up being my favorite and probably best project. I think experimentation is key but I also understand why you and a lot of other artists didn't create, 2020 was weird. Hopefully 2021 will be better and your creativity challenge works
Thanks! And wow, yeah, I think a lot of people have been experimenting with new styles and genres because of the way the pandemic has made them feel. That’s super interesting!
I did Like you but not interested about artist boohoo oo. Try helping people in need because you are not poor. Maybe you might get a new perspective of life and art.
