Aida, a muse

I often say that I would be very happy spending a month just wandering on the streets and in the parks of Paris. No museums, no churches, just a month-long stroll.

I recently found a YouTube channel that perhaps teases me closer to that experience.

But it’s more than that, actually.

My YouTube adventure ended not because I didn’t enjoy making content. My growing post-retirement law practice took precedence and left no time for video production. They were not compatible. Each requires total focus, and each monopolizes my computer resources, not to mention my brain.

I miss publishing videos, and I miss publishing blog posts as often as I once did.

There's a possibility that I will dial back the law and go back to publishing.

Aida's channel serves as inspiration.

The path for YouTube 'influencers' is often similar. They burst on the scene, gather a large devoted audience, and then they decline, and many all but disappear.

Making good videos can be very time-consuming. There is a very large pit of technical knowhow that needs to be discovered, studied, understood, and then applied consistently... and then tweaked, improved... it's a constant process. It doesn't really get simpler or less demanding.

At the core of every channel there is subject matter, a theme, a well of ideas, that the author returns to time and again. YouTube prizes volume over all else. Many successful influencers post weekly because it drives the channel, and ultimately can earn them a lot of money. When they disappear I feel that it's often due to overwork and burnout, combined with running out of content to post. The audience can also play a role. As time goes by, people tend to have shorter and shorter attention spans. Hundreds of short tiny videos with a punch of outrageous content seems to be what many people want.

Then there are authors who post less often, but they routinely publish gems. That would be me, if I published gems. As far as I can see, in my view, that's Aida. I love her videos.

Aida claims that it's mostly serendipitous. That it just happens without a whole lot of infrastructure to support the work. I have my doubts about that. For instance, someone, other than Aida, is clearly capturing the footage, and they are really good at what they do. Love may be an ingredient that guides the lens.

In the end, any way you slice it, it's all about Aida. I posted a comment on a recent video praising her work and it sparked a little conversation:

@LifeontwowheelsRocks
3 days ago
Your videos are… inspiring. If I went back to making videos, I would try to follow your formula. But even if I did my best, I couldn’t match the quality of the shooting. The editing is also very well done, particularly the audio. And then there is the content. Simply put, so much to admire.

@amusingaida
3 days ago
Thank you, those are kind words indeed. Even more valuable is that they come from an expert eye. But as for 'formula' -- let me know what my formula is! I have no idea; I just do what feels right for me.

@LifeontwowheelsRocks
2 days ago
Your approach is very empathetic and thoughtful. Quite intimate in a friendly way. You tell a well defined story. There is no waste, repetition, wandering off topic. Because you are not filming you are most often in the frame; you, and the message you convey, remain the subject. The cherry on the sundae are the cinematic camera angles, occasional drone footage, wild edits, but those tricks never become the focus, they always serve the narrative. Finally the soundtrack and the audio are very well managed throughout. Many YouTubers struggle with audio. For me that is one of the trickiest bits. But where you truly excel, is as the storyteller, the actress, the narrator. Actress seems a wrong, trivial characterization, but I can’t think of a better word for your screen presence. Does that begin to answer your question?

@amusingaida
2 days ago
Yours is one of the most indepth and incisive comments I've had on my little channel, so it is very precious to me. Thanks! I appreciate the feedback on both the approach and the style I convey. As a contentmaker yourself you'll know just how hard it is to realize a production - and the compromises made along the way. And I especially appreciate falling into the category 'actress' (rather than influencer or the like) as I feel that is more fitting. With your expert eye, I wonder if you could point out an area I should work on? I've made only around 30 videos, so am still learning this YouTube thing.

@LifeontwowheelsRocks
2 days ago
I feel the need to be creative. Perhaps our conversation will help us, and those who see it as well. I will return with more thoughts. May I suggest some reading? Rick Rubin - “The Creative Act - a way of being”

@amusingaida
1 hour ago

I'll see if I can squeeze that recommended reading onto my list.... but it's already long!

If Aida's work does inspire me to return to YouTube content, this may become my approach:

1. Focus on a story, don't digress, don't repeat, but tell a complete story.
2. Make sure the story is interesting. Be succinct.


3. Make sure that the story is told empathetically, as if it were being told to a close friend. Tell it to the camera for the most part, make the camera my best friend. The story is going to be five to maybe 20 minutes. Break a longer story into many takes, varying the video context with the narrative holding it all together.


4. Take a lot more footage than I need. It can be hard to know what will work best. Better to have more grist for the mill than not enough.


5. Focus on the audio. I don't know how Aida records her audio. Aida, if you read this, please provide some insight. It's super tricky. My strong preference is simplicity, as long as it works. For instance a single AirPod, or something similar. I might have to spend some money and some time experimenting. The perfect set up captures voice with high quality, and with an invisible mic.

Aida you asked if there was anything I recommended you work on.

That's a tough question. My channel pales next to yours in terms of subscribers and views. Who am I to offer you advice? But you asked. So here is my considered advice for you (that I am adding this code to to help you find it: Aida_a_muse)

1. Read Rick Rubin's book. If your reading list is too long to get to his book soon, perhaps watch this synopsis by Doug Neill, it will only take thirty minutes, but it will give you an excellent summary.  Trust me when I say that Rick Rubin's book is like a bible for creativity and creators, no matter the medium. I bought the book after reading a few paragraphs at random spots in the book when I was in a local bookstore. I had no idea who Rick Rubin was. In 2007, Rubin was called "the most important record producer of the last 20 years" by MTV and was named on Time magazine's list of the "100 Most Influential People in the World".


2. Don't stop making your videos, but don't allow yourself to be consumed by them. Rick Rubin suggests immersing yourself in great art. Paris is among the very best places to do that. Immersing yourself in the work of great artists will open your mind to creative paths for your own work. It doesn't matter whether the art is architecture, painting, music, film, philosophy... Produce a new video when the creative urge compels it. The more art you consume, the more you can produce, the easier it becomes. The path to success doesn't require you to burn out getting there.


3. Allow your audience to follow you and your dreams. I suspect that is what most people who follow your channel seek. They want your thoughts, your feelings, your insights, in the same way as if they were your close friends. If your path takes you to greater things, like television or the screen, keep making your videos as often as you can. It will keep your skills sharp and relevant.


4. Follow the path that leads to fulfilling your potential. 

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Ed. 20241003: It turns out that, against all odds, Aida found this post and expressed her appreciation in response to a comment I left on her most recent video. I love when that kind of magic happens in the internet universe. What are the odds?