Does anybody else wanna become this big-time vlogger/influencer, but is also terrified to get in front of a camera and show their everyday life? Well, let’s talk about it because SAME! To all my shy besties, you’re not alone. But at the same time, I reallyyy believe that we can do it!

What I think bothers us:

I’ve sat down and thought about why I and others could have a hard time sharing our lives with the public. I’m going to share three main points that you may be able to relate to. I’ll also share some things to consider when trying to overcome camera shyness.

Comparison:

When we turn to an influencer’s channel on YouTube, we tend to see this picture-perfect person with a structured day all planned out, what looks like effortless charisma, and not one hair out of place. Not to mention the GORGEOUS apartment that looks like it’s directly from our New York or California dreams! Then we start to think about what we don’t have that they do. When you experience something like that, it can make you feel inferior. Like you don’t have enough in order to grow an online community or create watch-worthy content. Which is totally NOT TRUE. About 45% of young adults live at home with family, which is the highest percentage since the 1940s. The increase of those living at home has been fastest among adults ages 25 to 34. So show off those dated counter tops and 30 year old blankets from Grandma! You could even welcome the idea of your parents making an appearance from time to time! Boomers can be very entertaining you know.

What it takes to make your content interesting is to romanticize it. Flash a little smile, add a little music, do a little dance. Loosen up! You don’t have to do anything that doesn’t feel natural. Your audience would appreciate it if you didn’t. But just highlight what makes you you, and what makes your life yours, ya know? Besides, even though it may not seem like it sometimes, there’s such a variety of personalities and lifestyles out there. And we’re relatable to more people than we realize. Being able to relate to others is therapeutic to many. Believe me! Appreciate yourself and your life, then with your content, show your audience why you do.

Lack of Familiarity:

The thing is… some of us have given it a go, but none of it actually felt natural. Even after inaccurately comparing ourselves to influencers that we know, we let our curiosity to see what we’re made of, overshadow the doubt. We’ve filmed (the more exciting parts of) our day and edited the video afterward. And some of us have even posted and gotten a few likes/subscribers. But throughout that entire process, it was quite uncomfortable. Filming yourself felt vain, and you just knew that those around you thought so too. Not only that, but your voice sounded “super strange” and you kept making this “cringey” face or movement the whole video. Or maybe your outfit looked awkward and you didn’t realize it until you watched the video all the way through.

I call these types of thoughts newbie illusions. These are your innermost thoughts that try to get you to nitpick every little thing because you’re not used to yourself in this sort of element. Which is completely normal. Everyone goes through it and it’s just a stage that you have to get through in order to feel more natural about things overtime. Besides, I’m sure anyone else that sees your video/s won’t see the brutally critical things that you do. It’s the same when you start a new job, become a new parent, try talking to your crush for the first time, or speak in front of your first big crowd. After you’ve gained three years of consistent experience, look back on your first month and notice how you’re the same person, just more relaxed and comfortable now. God designed us to be adaptable beings. So as long as we stick with that influencer attitude, soon enough, it’ll fit us like a glove.

Perfectionism:

It’s clear to me that you don’t even have to have specific details in order to become self critical. For example, I’ve seen how many subscribers these big-time influencers have, but I don’t know how long it took for them to gain that many. And yet, I still feel bad that my amount doesn’t match theirs. I have no clue what steps they took or how many years they spent with a low subscriber count. But when it comes to perfectionism, that information doesn’t really matter. With perfectionism, it has to be flawless or it’s not worth the effort. There’s no in between. And I feel like that’s a big problem. We’re human beings for goodness sake, we could all use a little grace. Especially with something like becoming an influencer. That ambition is pretty bold to take on in the first place.

If you go into something with no experience, a perfectionistic mindset will discourage you TREMENDOUSLY. Possibly sway you to throw away something that could’ve been great in the long run. Give yourself a chance, and don’t be afraid to every once in a while, not be an expert. So what if your first few videos are cringey? Look forward to poking fun at them as a pro in the future, and accept where you are now. Until you become monetized, treat your channel like your own personal video diary and have a little fun! The right viewers will come in good time.

Final Thoughts:

Obviously, all of this is easier said than done. And it’s gonna take some time for me to actually get used to applying it to my own journey. But it’s worth a try right? I think the main idea of this post is about the fact that we shouldn’t take ourselves too serious. There are already countless stressors that we deal with in life, we don’t need to add onto that in any way. And if becoming an influencer is just too stressful for you right now, maybe revisit it at a stage in your life that feels more simple. If you’ve taken a break and still feel that urge to try again, maybe now is the time to jump back in there with a more lighthearted approach.

What has been your experience with trying to become an influencer? Could you relate to any of the points I made? Are you now going to work on applying any of this to your own journey? Let’s chat about it in the comments. Anyways, I really hope that you enjoyed this read because I really enjoyed the write. Until next time blog buddies! 😉