I hope this becomes a regular thing -- these talks really do help me. They make me think, make me breathe... Make me introspective. So much other content just tickles the funny or only engages my thoughtful side on the sciences/engineering side, but this makes me think about ME, which is so, so important... Thanks for these, Daniel
This has actually genuinely helped me a lot. I struggle with self-discipline. i do unity (unfortunately) work and sometimes i simply just stop, i get distracted so often or often forget completely, sometimes i'll open up a project i've been working on and immediately close it. It's so simple yet but the idea of simply putting down a 30 minute timer like you mentioned at 14:20, and especially simply listening and playing/creating along with you in this 30 minute video has got me to simply sit down and work on my creative process. Thanks Daniel, wishing you the best!!
Hey dude, your shorts have brought tons of laughs and joy - but I think these long form deep conversation videos are going to do exactly what you were craving. Making a real difference. Usually these conversations are rare moments in our lives, but this format allows us to engage with the ideas if we choose to take the time. Love it. Thank you.
Ah yes, the famous Spider-Man quote: "With great power, comes great rebuhbuhbuly." Inspiring. On a serious note, thanks for these videos Daniel. I just started college, all my close friends are going elsewhere, many of them far elsewhere, and I've been thinking a lot about isolation, and finding the balance between finding time to be alone and being lonely. Thank you very much.
I also have social anxiety. My isolation isn't purposeful, I more call it loneliness. I find it hard to make deep connections (or at least friends that we would go out of the way to hangout; more than friends that just say hi when we're conveniently around each other). Really clicking with people is a lot more difficult than "going out more" (though that's scary as well and initiating interactions with new people take massive amounts of energy), and I've come to see actual friends as a super rare roll of the dice. Socializing is so difficult.
I’ve been watching Daniel for the longest time. I kinda grew up watching his videos with my friends for the past few years. It really just makes you think like how different this is from his normal videos. How he’s just talking to us. I think it’s so funny how if he wasn’t doing this I wouldn’t be able to fathom that he is an actual person with deep thoughts who puts so much effort into his work. When I was younger I would watch Daniel with my friends being like ‘Oh! It’s funny piano guy’. Now it’s more at least for people watching this stuff. The idea of videos and content being so unedited is pretty unheard of now. And I guess it’s just special hearing a creator talk this deeply about something that we all experience. Idk man
His previous alone video was about authenticity, and I also got that thought on my mind: Oh, Daniel, the funny piano guy, also gets anxious about the funny videos he does, just like my mom gets anxious about me and my brother whenever we leave the house, or when my dad is not certain about the family's money, or when my brother is looking for work, or when I need to do certain things and fear failure... I also don't know where I'm getting at (again), but it does change the perspective
Thank you for making these. They've helped me with my own anxiety and isolation-depression. It's amazingly therapeutic for a content creator to sit down, for half an hour, and talk about these things which I struggle with too.
Something my therapist taught me is isolation fuels isolation. The longer you completely isolate yourself, the harder it is stop. That being said, I also agree it is important for your mental health and your creativity to cut out the noise regularly. It's also so important to check in. I think for me, I often hide behind the guise of "I'm being productive in my creative endeavors by locking myself in my room all day, every day." When that's only part of it. The other part is me just being anxious about going out. But it really is about that balance, like you're saying. You need self time as well as people time. I'm also a Christian, and the Bible says "It is not good for man to be alone." I believe we're not created to go through life alone, you need people for a myriad of reasons, your sanity being one of them.
I find myself on the extreme side of the spectrum where isolation long ago stopped being a tool for creativity and started becoming everything I am. Sometimes I won't talk to anyone in days and I can barely hold a text conversation without wanting to nope out of it after a few minutes. And the relationship with myself has stopped being one of productivity or being in touch, it's toxic and regressive. You're right though, for a long time being isolated had me achieving the best things I've ever accomplished and if it's used correctly it gives you the space to be the "you-est you" and create your truest artworks. But reaching the extreme of that is probably the point it becomes a disorder and it can make living really miserable sometimes. It can turn you into a miserable person. Especially when it's forced isolation like my case is, a city with no friends or family with no vehicle in a city that has a time limit where it's safe to walk in. Not sure why I vented about this here, maybe I just wanted to feel heard or something idk. At any rate, love these little casual talks. 😊
One thing that can help with that is to switch yr focus to improving someone else life, even in smalls ways it can make you feel better about yrself and in the process improve yr own life. I tell myself if I cant make myself happy at lest I can try and make some else happy.
this is my new favourite series. So incredibly validating. I'm still trying to get out of isolation since moving to the US. I found isolation was helpful for my creativity at first but these days it's beginning to cause my creativity to fully break down & the burnout is kicking in.
"this comes from a guy who talks to himself for a living." I wish I could find a way to make a living out of that too because that's what I do all day. I think I'm on the destructive end of this isolation spectrum. Those meetings with self, self therapy, is what I do all the time to point that they have filled the void of not having friends. I have become my own friend and my own therapist and that's what I need to work on. Finding actual friends, working on my social skills. 26 is a weird age to make friends from scratch but I'm trying to find a way... I said it on your last talk and I'll say it again, in this world full of shallow content I'm extremely proud that my favourite content creator is someone with such profound thoughts who is always trying to raise his progress bar. I really wish you could be my real friend, lol, we'd have so much in common to bond over, haha... Thanks for this video
From what I understand about the different types I'm an ambivert? I can do alright with events, crowds, etc, but it wears me out and then I spend a long while recouping. My health tanked me enough to keep my business on pause for 5 years now (Usually I make art and custom fursuits), so I've become heavily isolated and hermited especially once march 2020 happened. Partly what likely got me so unwell was working too much while suffering burnout but that's a whole other thing. During this time my depression and anxiety have swelled into agoraphobia, so I been diving into music and learning how to sing better. You hit the nail on the head with isolation bringing out focus and creativity, even during more social years of past I always focused way better creatively on my own. Awesome video dude, thank you for these. Rootin for ya
I really love this content Daniel! It's reassuring hearing about your steps to accept and grow with anxiety and fears. I'm sure many of us can relate to it a lot. Please keep doing these, they're very welcome.
Hi, it's the girl who inspired the Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis song, I love these videos I relate so much to this way of thinking and I'm glad you're putting these out there, so thank you Daniel for all that you do
I love living by myself, but I definitely have learned that I need to balance it with not just leaving the house but leaving the house and connecting with people in a meaningful way. When I get really busy, I can easily go months without any meaningful human interaction, only leaving the house to get groceries, and then wonder why I am sad.
Sometimes I tend to lie to myself by denying my true feelings, thoughts, or emotions to avoid facing unpleasant truths or to make myself feel better about a particular situation. This becomes so frequent that I even lose touch with my own feelings and thoughts, leading to confusion and uncertainty about myself. It's really important to be honest with ourselves and acknowledge our true feelings to clearly understand who we are and what we want in life. Thanks, Daniel.
I do this a lot too, sometimes I just find it hard to or like I can't talk honestly to the people around me even if they say I can which can lead to me trying to manipulate my own feelings so I don't feel like I have to talk. I know it's bad and I need to work on stopping but it just kinda happens without me even fully realizing it.
Sometimes I forget that I don't actually know you in real life Daniel. You are exactly the kind of person I would want to be friends with. You are also the kind of person I want to be as a friend to others. The word isolation definitely stuck out to me, but it was because it was one of your videos that I clicked on it. I haven't been watching a lot of youtube recently and i haven't seen any other videos like this that you've done, but I really enjoyed it. I moved with my family away from all my friends about a year ago, and I've definitely felt isolated for a long time, but I haven't really seen much good come out of it. This video though gives a new and very neat perspective on how I can use isolation as a tool, but I also want to work on opening up to my friends and family more often. Thanks man
Thanks so much for these videos!! They have really made me think about my own behaviors and how to alleviate my anxiety. These talks have really helped me👍👍
I've been struggling with isolation lately, which is my main concern. At this point in my life, my friendships are being put to the test. Over the years, I've lost many friends, and since I work as a freelance editor, I tend to isolate myself even more. It's been five years since I graduated from school in 2018, and during this time, I've rarely ventured outside. My anxiety has significantly increased, to the point where I'm even anxious about going out for basic necessities. So hearing another persons take on it really makes me feel less alone. So thank you Daniel. :)
Wanted to leave a comment, cuz I never do, but I loved this, SO much. Your authenticity and level of deep conversation seriously heals me... I actually cried, but they were happy tears 🥹 I 1000% agree with everything you said, and I do have gratitude for my life and all the things I have every morning, and check in with myself everyday and journal sometimes. As someone who constantly goes deep with myself, it feels lonely. A lot of the people around me really just don't care. I also have trauma with trusting others, so that's where my anxiety & isolation comes from. I have no problem traveling across the world, but if I'm approached by someone & they just ask me a question, my heart will start racing. I will literally cross the street in my neighborhood to avoid someone like pac-man avoids ghosts 🤣🤣So that's something I'm working on healing, and you're actually helping with that. I love your honesty and rawness and hope to learn how to feel safe not hiding so much one day. Thank you so much for these videos and all your sketches 🙏 the world needs more people like you.
I love my isolation. I always have. I'd rather stay home and watch a horror movie than go out clubbing or to dinner. Now, I do go out and do stuff but if you asked me my preference, I'd rather be home alone every single time. I'm 100% an introvert but with the capabilities of maintaining a normal conversation and totally coming across as an extrovert.
I’ve never heard anything like this on RU-vid. It really does allow me to think afterwards. So keep doing these (as long as you want to) and thank you.
I’ve had severe social anxiety as long as I can remember, so this hits home. I really like these videos of you being so real. Could you maybe list the books you recommend during these in the description for us readers? pls & ty. :)
I have therapy regularly and my therapist pointed out that it wasn't necessarily what SHE was saying during the session that really helped me - it was having an hour just solely dedicated to working through my feelings, goals, and thoughts on a consistent basis. If you find a way to sit with yourself on a regular schedule it really does wonders. You're right about the flip side, too - at some point all that isolated ruminating eventually causes you to hit an impasse, and you need to be with other people. Seems like my problem has always been about balancing those two, lol. Great video Daniel, loving this long form content and I'd love to see more!
Love these I like to isolate my self at lest once a day but to draw I find it helps me focus and gives me more creativity, but at the same time I love to regularly hang out with my mates so I believe that I have a good balance but the challenge is to keep it that way.👍
There is something about nighttime that brings about higher energy from most people and possibly higher expectations all around. The issue about being around people at night "might" stem from the fact that you are an entertainer and you worry about having to be “on” with whomever you are hanging with. I’ve run into this and it can be exhausting and not something to look forward to, because you can’t just relax and go with the flow. Observing people with a wall flower vibe in those same settings tends to be more enjoyable and less tiresome. Regarding isolation and like many who've already posted, I'm currently spending too much time alone with my thoughts. I do relish in those moments knowing I can use them to create, etc., but it also hurts me. It's good to be reminded to challenge myself more to recharge in healthier ways. That I don’t always have to be spinning my wheels creatively. Stepping away for a quick lunch with a friend to recharge or running errands is a good way to get out of my own inner monologue head for a bit. And it ends up helping that reset I most desperately need. Thank you for the reminder and thank you for another great episode! xoxo
it's actually really nice listening to your experience with agoraphobia, especially since you're a guy whose persona always seemed very self-confident and secure. what i experienced wasn't agoraphobia, but it did make me feel similarly trapped & really messed up my life. i'm only 17, and it was about a year or so ago when my parents went on a trip across the country and left me home alone. this wasn't the first time they'd done this and i thought i was okay with it, our home & family life is good, i have friends & family nearby, two cats, i'm generally responsible, etc. the thing was though that despite the fact i did have friends & family very close by, i was rare to invite someone over. this is a rural area and i couldn't drive yet, and although my grandparents regularly dropped off home cooked meals for me (i know i know) they wouldn't stick around because they're 80+ and this was a post-covid world. i think my poor response to the environment is largely a product of a lot of things, and no one had any reason to believe i'd be so fucked up by it. those few weeks i spent alone proved to me how MADDENING isolation is, even though i'm an introvert. i would go to school every day, not make many connections because high school, go home, and wander around my house for hours. just talking to the cats and putting off school work. like i said i'm an introvert and also a creative, but that degree of understimulation killed me both creatively and cognitively. this set off such a long period of procrastination that i almost failed Psych 101 and had to reach out to my prof in July practically begging for help -- and asking a teacher for help was unheard of for me, and i was considered very conscientious (i skipped a grade and was a senior at the time; school had programs to let me get a few college classes under my belt.) i did end up passing btw. i also gained an extreme anxiety in regards to break-ins at night, and i still often have to sleep with the lamp in my room on due to that fear. worrying about what would happen if someone broke in without any adults at home had me up for hours, trying to find ways to distract my tired & irrational brain. i also just got generally worse at emotional regulation and i was a bit of a trainwreck until the school year finally ended. i've been a lot better since and have been working to foster more extroversion and getting out of the house more (it helps i can drive now), but man. it's just so nice to hear someone else talk about this so i don't feel as crazy.
It’s nice to know that even though I feel like a loner, there’s plenty of people in the world I can relate to. It’s just, I don’t see the people I can relate to that often, so seeing these videos helps with that.
I really enjoy these videos. It feels less like you're talking AT me and more like you're talking TO me. Isolation is something I have been struggling with recently. I have moved away from my family and friends in pursuit of my career, where I'm in a new place surrounded by new people. It has been forcing me to really consider the choices and connections I make in a different environment. I still get super anxious about it, but after spending some time with some new faces outside of work, it is a little easier for me to face these challenges. What you spoke about throughout the video resonates in ways I can't explain in words alone. Thanks for the talk, Daniel!
I put this in my “just in case”playlist as a reminder of the importance of caring for mental health and being a creative, who has been through isolating periods in my life. When the pandemic hit, as awful as it was for the whole world, I felt like a lot of burdens were lifted off of me, and I could stay home and reevaluate the way I was living my life, and what I truly wanted to do with my life. I consider these periods of isolation to be jumping off points where you can evaluate where to go next in your creative process and in life. Listening to you discuss this also helped me to consider the way that I want to balance out peace and quiet, boundaries and isolation with being in healthy relationships with all of my loved ones and the type of life that I want to live, and the type of environment I want to be in that offers peace and quiet along with connection at the same time. You are one of my favorite creators, even though I recently discovered you only a few months ago, and I love seeing artists and creators be open with their process, especially when it comes to the realm of mental health, because just like anyone else, every artist and creator and performer deserves to have good, balanced mental health. Thank you so much Daniel for sharing this and sharing your art in such a skilled and humorous way with us. May you have a life blessed with excellent wellbeing and continued recovery ❤❤❤❤
I'm absolutely introverted, and have struggled with agoraphobia over the last year myself. I also had a highly creative job but i was working from home. I hit rock bottom when i lost that job and was unemployed for 4/5 months. I lost all form of passion and creativity and became worse than ever during that time. Not to mention also being angry and frustrated at my work situation. I finally have a job again, where i do have to leave the house, but it's still hard to leave for any other reason than something I'm very used to. The job will help, and I'm really hoping passion returns for creating all the time but one step at a time.
I love listening to these videos from you, I listen to them like a podcast (though I don't usually like podcasts) and the slow format combined with your voice (which is really nice) just feels so good, it slows me down, it's calming, yet inspiring at the same time. I hope you keep it up!
I also feel like isolation can be helpful to help look at your self and do some self review about what is going on in your life but also isolation does cause anxiety. I’ve noticed in myself when my anxiety is high i get stupidly paranoid about what people are saying and thinking about me and when i’m around my friends my anxiety is lowered because we’re all having fun together but at the same time i am able to talk to my friends when we’re together about my mental health problems but then i feel bad for kind of dumping all these things on them. I’ve noticed it’s put a damper on one of my best friends so me and her aren’t as close anymore we have had to set up boundaries so we can stay friends. Isolation is a good thing… but in moderation. You have got to get out and be with people or you will just be lonely and depressed and you will feel like the world is falling apart. Quarantine i feel like jump started a lot of people’s mental health because in a lot of ways quarantine was so traumatic. We were ripped away from so many loved ones so quickly because of Covid. In short our generation needs therapy
This reminds me of a comment thread I saw online a couple years ago that stuck with me. Someone said offhand, "I hate public transportation because I just can't stand the general public." And somebody replied, "Congratulations, you are also the general public." I think it's more important than ever that we consciously choose to be out in public and around other people. I myself have been making more effort to simply go downtown and walk up and down the pedestrian street and get a coffee at one of the cafes, even though I usually make coffee at home.
I really enjoyed this and the last video you did like this. I would have to say I have a tendency to isolate. I am a very introverted person, but I really enjoy having meaningful conversations with people. I've found that being a part of a RU-vid community like this, a discord community, or just sitting with someone in vr and having a no pressure conversation where I can pause and think about what I want to say and how I feel is really nice. I had a thought just a few days ago about how I can be in a physical room with someone, but it feels like I'm alone because I don't think this person understands what I truly mean. Then my thoughts went to the extreme and I wondered if there were as many languages as there are people. how do we understand each other? Maybe I want to say too much and in the pursuit of being brief I cut out the right words to convey what I want to say or present. Anyway, your videos are very thought provoking and I enjoy them. I also like your comedies because I was a music student, and I can really relate. It's almost surreal how similar an experience people can have even when they haven't met in person. Maybe I'm just assigning my own experience to a gap of information and that's why I feel that way.
Our lives our so similar, so this really hit home. I used to hold a somewhat prominent position in my religious organization as a worship leader but eventually chose to step down after repeated panic attacks for 15 years of doing it. My last time leading music from the piano, I ran out in the middle of a song because I started dry heaving. That was Dec. 2019, just before involuntary isolation hit me hard in 2020. I visited the ER that following week for the first time in my life-and, of course, "there's nothing wrong with you," lol. Dale Carnegie's words have definitely been a blessing-both the book you mentioned and "How to Stop Worrying & Start Living"-so I'm glad you brought them up. I'm also elated that you're here and that you're willing to open up to us. I've followed your online presence for many years, solely for your sense of humor, but what you've shared so far of your personal life makes me appreciate you on a much greater level. I haven't had much luck with close friends in my lifetime as of yet-I'm 36yo-but if I could find someone like you, I feel it would be most beneficial. I, too, must challenge myself to branch out; thank you for that reminder, Daniel.
I didn't realize how valuable alone time was (or how much of it I had) until pandemic and having kids. Ironically I have not truly been alone on a healthy and frequent basis since the pandemic began. My creativity has definitely slowed because I don't have that isolated space to work in. I end up stuffing or missing emotions that I should have otherwise processed. When I do get alone time, my best processing comes with my quiet time with God. He really is the best therapist. I talk to him probably the same way you record yourself. My experience is that getting that "recharge" in the quiet place is the only way to be fruitful in work, family, and anything else really. That being said, being "alone with one's thoughts" is a different kind of isolation that I don't miss. God healed me of anxieties that plagued me in college, but when I was in those dark places, it was terrible. I pray that you are able to find freedom from your current anxieties!
It didn't sound preachy, it actually helped me a lot, so thank you so much for these videos. This one was so calming and soothing and I've had a lot of anxiety lately but just that calming energy of the sound/speed of your voice and the hum of the lawnmower and the quiet background was just... healing almost. Thank you so much.
Thank you so much for making another one of these videos. I really related to what you were saying and needed to hear this. Definitly going to try and start taking the time to get my thoughts down and reflect on my feelings more. Along with maintaining a healthier balance of isolation. I appreciate you sharing this with us. 😊 Looking forward to the next one!
I like to offer getting something for the cashier or strangers when ever I can. It often brightens their mood and that helps me out a bit. Most of the time they don't take me up on it and worst case is I loose a few bucks.
this is refreshing for me to hear another sane, mature human other than my family because its my family, other random adults, or my 8th grade friends who arent that mature. (im in 8th grade). But I could seriously hear you talk for hours while i mindlessly color or something like your doing, hearing you authentically. Not trying to be your normal youtube self, you know, super hilarious and goofy, but really just being human. That is really what the world needs right now.
it is so SO easy to find yourself too isolated. I considered myself an introvert for a very long time until I went to college and made a whole bunch of friends. I'd never had that before, and suddenly I was the most extroverted person around. I did some journaling recently, just writing down my biggest memories of each year, and I literally spent 2011-2013 then 2015-2019 scrolling. Memes, twitter, tumblr...and I remember nothing of it. Years of my life scrolling and most of my friends in other states. It's only in the last few years I've woken up to this - ironically the pandemic helped because every day friends would be hanging out in voice channels and playing games together in discord. Now that that's not the norm I realize I have to be more aggressive about finding and maintaining irl friendships. It's very hard as an adult, especially when the people that live in your city are so exhausted from work and traffic that no one has energy to do anything afterwards, so I'm in this weird spot where I see people that live 2 hours away much more frequently than people that live 30mins away.
Really glad I found this. I've been isolated for the better part of 3 years. My computer feels like my life at this point and not just my *job*. Feels almost suffocating at this point. I want to get a little electric skateboard and just go to the mall sometimes on my own when I want to get coffee or something. Need the outside. Frankly, I don't get why people think Gen Z is screwed. we're social creatures by design and despite my upbringing being full of technology, as I've become an adult I seriously value real things and real connections.
Man Thank you so much This is really helpful It feels like I am having this one on one r deep real talk with you and facing my wrongdoings and thier consequences Edit-Hey man you aren't being preachy you are just giving advice as an adult I personally see you as Big Brother from now on ❤❤
My anxiety spiked today for what i thought was no good reason, but in retrospect ive been in a constant state of socializing since school started back up and today i finally had nothing to do. I think you legit nailed the issue on the head, I need to get used to being alone with my thoughts again. I do theater so most of my time is spent in a cast or ensemble or group, which I think makes it hard to fully understand myself. I hope you keep doing these talks bc they genuinely help people like me. I feel a lot better, thank you:)
I took your reccomendation to sit for 15 minutes and wright. It was surprising just how much stuff I was thinking about myself and my life, but was too ashamed to really look at. Wrighting it all down really forced me to think some things through. Thanks Daniel!
As someone who struggles with very similar anxiety issues, I really appreciate your openness in this video, sort of reminds me that I'm not completely crazy
yo thanks for sharing! i love hearing more about other people's internal experiences, and about how others deal with the general experience of ***existing*** bc idk what this all (existence itself) is but it sure is. wild af! and it's nice to know other people are out here finding life challenging and also seeking out ways to make life feel a little bit better everyday and then sharing that with others. it's good stuff
I really love these videos, they make me think more about what I'm doing in my life. I used to be really good at catching up with myself and balancing that with being with other people, but the last maybe 7 or 8 years I've somehow lost all that and life seems to only be about working and hiding yourself from everyone including yourself.
I needed this now. I nearly cancelled a lunch to see a close friend I hadn't seen in person in over a decade. It was too much. Thanks for putting this out there.
This was like having a comforting chat with an older brother, and listening to it while I did my school-work really helped me stay focused. These videos are great, I appreciate them ❤ I have ADHD, so I feel a need for a body double to focus, but having actual people around or on call makes me feel like I need to respond and hold up a conversation, ultimately making it more distracting, so youtube videos like these help me alot
I definently find the fact of your appearance in my life regardless of it being just in video for the moments it has given me alot of feeling less alone and joy and laughs, also some form of nostagia. Thank you for sharing perspective and you are very useful. Thank you, I worry we will probably never meet... Thank you for this much.
I'll be honest, I can listen to you talk all day. The way you discuss these deep topics are so sincere and really resonates with me in these trying times
I relate to this 100%. In 2020 (pandemic obvi) I was alone in my tiny one bedroom apartment, and to keep myself from going insane, I started posting daily on Instagram, either photos or short vids where I sing & play piano, 'cause that's what I was able to do with what I had available and I found that the isolation made my creativity soar. But with it, also came social anxiety. I'm an ambivert, but a little more on the introvert side, so I like my alone time to recharge and I default to being alone, but that causes me to have social anxiety, 'cause I then feel like I don't know how to hold a conversation with someone else (someone new, not like a friend or family member). That means dating is a 0 for me at the moment as well...sigh (although it's due to other things as well). I could talk about this with you for a long time. But thanks for sharing this with all of us. I'm sure a lot of people (myself definitely) related to everything you talked about in this vid. Just know that you're not alone in the anxiety dept. Lots of love and support all the way from South Africa ✌️😎
I actually did journal via voice recording awhile ago and listening to this series has made me consider doing it again I think I'm needing it, thanks Daniel
i know i’m late and you won’t see this but PLEASE don’t stop doing these videos because of the way the youtube algorithm is treating them. it’s worth it for those of us who do see them. thanks
Didn't come across as preachy at all. These conversational videos are simultaneously relaxing (watching the mowing is great lol) and thought-provoking. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us.
Holy shit, ty for mentioning Tony Robbins. He had some insight I have heard, and some insight I haven't heard anywhere else before! He is right on the money about life pursuit, genuinely inspirational!
I had a unique mix of Covid, leaving the religion I was raised in, and then separation/divorce over the course of 2 years that put me from a somewhat social person to a very isolated person. I very much felt that extreme isolation and how it was different from the initial feeling of increased freedom and space to think. In that isolation I started coping with that extreme isolation by making almost every second active/loud. I needed this reminder that silence is good, and I do need to seek those times to do that self reflection and check up.
Dude, I love these videos you do, it’s so great, I go to church and I love it and I love how I can can learn from you and your perspective, but this is great and I love hearing from you ❤
I just wanna disclaim here that I haven't finished the video as I write this, but I just wanted to say a word about the comment about church. I think that it's a fantastic and incredibly accurate observation that people really value time at church for introspective purposes. I can't tell you the number of times I've realized things about how I've been acting or saying or thinking because I simply took some time to slow down. I think this intuition Daniel has really speaks to how God designed humanity for Sabbath, i.e. taking one day out of the week to rest and reconnect with God in a special way. When you just think about church as institutionally and mentally sacred, then all you get out of it are social and intellectual benefits. While these aren't nothing, they're definitely not everything. Far from it, in fact. The main benefit of going to church is not the fellowship or the self-reflection or the music or even the sermon--it's being with God and building your relationship with Him without the distractions of everyday life. It's the spiritual benefits of knowing more of who God truly is and the effect of that on your life that make church meaningful, and I would encourage anyone reading this to really give Christ and a gospel-centered relationship with him a try. As Matthew 7:7-8 says, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." God bless 🙏🏾
Talking about Isolation while playing the Lawn Mowing Simulator, which is by yourself and isolating, makes this video a full circle. The circle of life. *Que the image of baby Simba being lifted and Daniel's head on Simba* On a more serious note, I wrote 65 pages of a book in 6 days when I was just left alone. I understand how your creativity goes and goes. I didn't want to go out on the weekends, so I tried to stay close to my computer in case more ideas popped up. I also had anxiety that the ideas for the book would stop coming if I went off and did something else. I'm still writing the book, now 100 pages in. Started the book a month ago now. So, I'm still at a point where I legit want to be left alone and don't want to leave the house (I do, but I don't want to). It can be good, as Daniel says, but it can also be harmful. A balance is necessary.
I've never really thought about Daniel's personal life and health since it didn't concern me, but this is really nice it's like seeing the artist behind the art
I've actually done self-therapy sessions like this and it was really helpful. I don't do it often, but it helps me organise my thoughts when I'm wound up
I know this is an old video but the thing about being surrounded by other people and that having an impact on your creativity is absolutely true. I'm an illustrator and a musician, and when I was younger and living in relative peace and quiet, my creative energy was much stronger. I was able to focus on learning my craft, making things I was proud of, doing theatre all the time, I felt like the purest form of myself. I was allowed to be me, without distractions and things constantly taking away my attention. Nowadays I have a kid and I'm a stay at home parent. As such, I am CONSTANTLY surrounded by noise and other people's needs. Even on the occasions when I'm in my office and given time to work on something, ideas just don't come to me because I can always hear crying, whining, screaming, barking dogs, it just never stops. Being surrounded by noise all the time makes me anxious and when you're anxious you can't create.
These are really great, Daniel. You should upload the audio as a podcast on other platforms. It doesn’t need to be edited or anything. Again, great job with these and I’m loving the very different type of videos than what other people are posting on RU-vid.
this is why the game "The Longing" had such a big impact on me. it's a game which lasts a very long time and it's pretty slow, and it's objectively boring, but it's that boredom of inaction that gives you time and space for yourself. you also really connect with the character you play cuz they go through a bunch of hardship and intense anxiety and all that, and so weirdly enough, there's an insane amount of people in the reviews and videos that praise the game it really shows that space to think and being alone with your thoughts can do a lot
Hey Daniel! Just wanted to let you know that I watched this video because the previous 30 minute talk was really different and enjoyable, so when I saw the thumbnail and 30 minute video length I knew that I wanted to experience that again, so thank you for providing a space for just listening. That being said, please don't feel pressured to let this time infringe upon your needs and wants first.
i love these videos. they're nice to listen to while i'm doing something else but they also give me a lot of insight and things to think about, i hope you keep doing these. i definitely isolate too much, but my current circumstances makes it difficult to go anywhere, so i generally avoid going out unless i need to. i find journaling helps a lot. i'm not very good with words, so having to put my thoughts and feelings into words helps me understand them better and that makes it easier to figure shit out. i'm not consistent in journaling, idk if i have to be for it to be effective, i mostly only write when i have a lot on my mind or when i have nothing better to do.
I feel the same way about how creative pursuits cause social anxiety. You nailed it on the head. Being in your own head all the time is great for art but it's bad for your psyche. It's a tough balance that I have been struggling with too.
I've never really enjoyed being around people since I was like a little kid. I probably spend about 95% of my time by myself. Maybe when I was younger it helped me to be creative but at this point it just is my life. But I've also always been an overthinker with really bad anxiety, and maybe that's part of it. Never really thought of it like that.
I thought a lot about my situation while watching this. I learned some new things thanks to you just now. I avoid thinking about how much I isolate myself because I know it's unhealthy. I have to tone it down. I don't know when and I only have a vague I idea of how. I appreciate you a lot for talking about this. Seeing someone else also talk about their struggles with isolation is good reminder I'm not alone.
Thank you for speaking earnestly and encouraging us to spend some time inside our minds. I take 30 mins every day to write creatively in a book and it has changed the ways my days look (that rhymed!) There is always a space and time for my thoughts, sometimes it’s too much time and sometimes too little but it’s reassuring to always have that space. I thought it was interesting what you said about progress being happiness. Bc I relate to the energy one gets from progressing as a person but at the same time progress, goal-setting and bettering yourself is so connected to pressure and performance anxiety for me. It feels good to progress but feeling an external need to be something that I’m not right now isn’t what I want my progress to be driven by. It’s easy to start comparing yourself to others as soon as you try improving something about yourself but you have to remember that everyone can grow. Noone is done. We all can grow and taking time to sit with your thoughts is really the first and the most important step. Hehe just dumping my brain on a random comment section. It was nice though. Thank you for pushing me to this Daniel!
Thank you, Daniel, for sharing your thoughts! ☺ I feel like living, in general, is more or less a big balancing act and the way we successfully (🤭) can get through it, is by constantly assessing what is and adjusting the parts that feels off. And we do it over and over, and over again... 😅 And even though sometimes it can get tedious, the beautiful experience of BEING, of LIVING is totally worth it! ❤ And I'm thankful there are so many wonderful, aware people in this world that make living pure joy! You are one of them for sure! 🥰
I‘m watching this to stim (pleasantly calm, nothing unexpected) and it’s wonderful. Although I, personally, have not only tools, but an entire visualized mind palace in wich I do all the things that you described, Daniel. Keep up doing these videos, they’re meaningful and important!
I really like these sofa mower time videos. Great to listen to, and to relate to. I certainly feel more encouraged to go out for more coffee and spend more time with people. I'm sure this can be relateble to everyone, introvert or extrovert. Thanks for your thoughts. Also, you should try playing Farming Simulator 2022 too. Similar vibe, but more variation. Keep it up 👍
2020 was the best year of my life. I was liked but never well liked in school, we lived in an isolated spot as I grew up, without neighbors in walking distance which did nothing for accumulating the social skills you should as a child. I guess its just felt normal to be alone although I have been lonely on and off throughout my life. So 2020, to me was like, what's the big deal? I was still alone, I landed a job that I really had wanted, I got a lot of perks at that job since I had to be in the office and nearly everyone else was at home -- a lot of free lunches, parking right beside the office instead of blocks away, having the run of the place. And I guess, not having to deal with people in my face. I can admit that now since Daniel has made this video. And its not that I wouldn't like to have a relationship or good friends. It's just that I don't feel like I belong here in the world now. Who is like me? With so many people that love the alcohol, the drugs, weird and harmful fads, and can't live without them, how can I find my tribe? To the outside world, I'm sure they think I have it made. As I am liked, but not liked enough. There's so little connection.
