Why I Share Everything I Learn on YouTube

What’s poppin’, people? It’s Dante.

Today I wanted to share my personal philosophy around sharing things on YouTube.

I just want to talk about my YouTube workflow, why I create, and why I do things the way that I do them.

Right now I’m filming with this old Handycam.

Creating Is a Way of Discovering Myself

I’m basically using photography, video, and making things as a way to augment my reality.

Not only to hopefully share something with one other person, but to discover who I am.

Through the act of creating, I’m constantly asking questions about the world.

About myself.

About how I orient myself in life.

Photography and making videos help me discover how I actually think and feel.

That’s why, for me, creating is ultimately a selfish act.

I share things as a stream of consciousness.

A visual diary.

An audio diary.

A video diary.

Whatever you want to call it.

I do it for myself…

…and for one other person on the other side of the screen.

I create to discover who I am.

I Don’t Think It’s That Serious

I don’t think making things has to be so serious.

A lot of YouTube feels polished.

Carefully edited.

People trying to appear like they have all the answers.

I actually enjoy stumbling through life.

Learning as I go.

Sharing whatever I happen to discover along the journey.

That’s much more interesting to me.

YouTube Is My Journal

Sometimes I think of recording a video the same way I think about writing with a pen and paper.

Except instead of opening a notebook…

I turn on a camera.

Talking becomes writing out loud.

Every video is basically a stream-of-consciousness essay.

A journal entry spoken into existence.

I find that incredibly empowering.

It has made me much more confident.

Much more courageous.

I’m no longer afraid to express myself honestly.

Why I Disable Likes and Comments

People sometimes ask why I disable likes and comments.

Wouldn’t I want the feedback?

Actually…

That’s completely beside the point.

I’m not looking for validation.

I’m trying to authentically express myself without external influence.

Even praise can become a distraction.

If people constantly reward one type of work…

Eventually I’ll begin making more of that work simply because I know people like it.

That’s dangerous.

It’s one of the reasons I deleted Instagram.

Metrics influence creativity.

Likes shape behavior.

Algorithms shape taste.

I don’t believe the best artwork is necessarily the most popular artwork.

Some of the most interesting ideas are niche.

Quiet.

Unfashionable.

That’s where I like to spend my time.

Videos Are Time Capsules

The reason I share this way is because making a video feels like immortalizing your soul.

Each video becomes a time capsule.

Years later, you can look back and see your own philosophy evolving.

Your own way of navigating life.

It’s an incredible novelty that we can simply turn on a camera…

Record our voice…

And potentially be heard by anyone in the world.

The internet is the modern public forum.

One Take. No Editing.

I like doing everything in one take.

I don’t enjoy editing.

Mostly because I’m lazy.

But also because I find that part of the process boring.

I never want creativity to feel like work.

I want it to remain playful.

Fun.

Light.

I make things the way I enjoy making them.

Not the way the algorithm wants me to.

Learning Out Loud

Making videos simply feels good.

Especially when you’re alone.

When you have ideas floating around in your head.

It’s healthy to have somewhere to express them.

YouTube has become that outlet for me.

As I learn…

I share.

Sometimes those discoveries happen through photography.

Sometimes through life.

Sometimes through walking around with a camera.

Deep down, even though creating is a selfish act…

Maybe it also inspires somebody else.

Maybe by scratching my own creative itch…

Someone else feels encouraged to create something of their own.

Everything I’ve Learned

I’ve spent over a decade traveling and making photographs.

I’ve learned a tremendous amount.

My number one goal now is to empower other photographers.

To give them the insights I wish someone had given me when I first started.

To help them improve faster.

To help them enjoy photography more deeply.

That’s the real purpose behind everything I share.

Open Source Creativity

On my website I’ve made almost everything freely available.

Lectures.

Blog posts.

Raw files.

Contact sheets.

My archive.

My zines.

My photographs.

Study them.

Download them.

Print them.

Learn from them.

Everything is open source because I want other photographers to build upon what I’ve learned.

Forever an Amateur

At the end of the day…

I’m not trying to pretend I’m some master.

I’m simply learning out loud.

Sharing out loud.

Forever stumbling through the world like a curious kid.

Forever an amateur.

And honestly…

I hope I never lose that feeling.

Thanks for watching.

I’ll see you soon.

Peace.