With just a few of very simple edited videos on my channel, I was waiting for any reaction on them.
Commenting on other channels was the way to get noticed by other creators and eventually the first people watched my videos
and (some of them) subscribed. I was over the moon. Finally there were a few that were interested enough to subscribe and
come back to watch my videos. The will to learn and grow began to develop.
First Comments on my videos
Then it happened. Someone left a comment on my very first video - "drOps Of wAtEr". I can't find the right words
for my excitement, when I logged into my YouTube account. It was excitement mixed with anxiety.
Will it be a positive comment? Will it be devastating?
"Mi piace" - "I like" was written by a YouTuber with the very mysterious name "OO390". I was overwhelmed.
Someone really liked that video! I can't remember if I first left a comment on their channel, or if they somehow "found" me
(I guess I left one or two comments on their videos). It doesn't really matter. They were the first ones, leaving a
very nice comment on my first video and I was over the moon. Then another comment, made by "9043", showed up.
And then another one - on my second video. That one was made by a YouTuber called "Christopher Robins".
Up to this day I love their videos! They (still) give me chills, they have that "meatsleep" vibe (find the complete list
of "meatsleep" videos HERE and HERE is another archive - edit:
lists of videos are not complete. "byt" and "taB" still missing.).
More about "meatsleep" later. Back to "Christopher Robins".
After a little while of complimenting each other on our videos, I had to ask them how they edit their videos.
What software they use for video editing and sound editing. I still only had my mobile phone (without any editing apps)
and "Movie Maker" on my computer. "Christopher" helped me find software I still work with.
Back then it was possible to send private messages on YouTube. Over the years we became something like "online friends".
At least I think we are. ;)
So. Beause "Christopher Robins" revealed some very helpful editing hints and tricks, they sparked the fire in me,
and I finally felt confident enough to keep my channel going. (I can't thank you enough!)
Got involved a little more
As I already mentioned in my first posting, I found (still do) a lot of weird, disturbing, confusing, entertaining and
interesting channels via "Pet and Chic". One of those channels was "icantastethewallz". Back then I still wasn't sure
what I got myself into, but I was there to go down that "rabbit hole" to find out what was going on with those very weird,
often small channels - like "icantastethewallz". I watched their videos. Tried to understand what I saw, what I heard,
what those weird titles meant. Then all of a sudden "icantastethewallz" vanished (as far as I remember YouTube changed
their community guidelines), as some other channels did. I quickly found out that some (of those "weird/disturbing")
YouTubers began to release videos with the hashtag "#BringWallzBack". Of course I jumped in and made a
#BringWallzBack video. To be honest, it wasn't only to help "wallz" but also to (maybe) help my channel grow.
And it all worked out well. "wallz" soon was back online, and I got noticed by a few more YouTube creators.
Met with kindest reception
Back then, the old "Pet Monster" channel was my "source of inspiration". I spent nights after nights
investigating the channels mentioned in their arty edited videos. Not only checking out all those channels,
but also the comments, clicking on names, finding even more crazy content. After a while I noticed some channels
releasing videos with the hashtag "#createnothate". As far as I know "Pet Monster" and "Monster Chic" - now "Pet and Chic" -
first came up with #createnothate - as a statement against all the hate comments. Back then a real pain,
because it was like some kind of sports for some people to kind of click through all channels just to leave hateful and hurtful comments there. Eventually YouTube responded on that problem - more or less well.
I absolutely loved the idea of "creating not hating", so I decided to make my own "#createnothate" statement/video.
It's no masterpiece, but I honestly put my heart into it. After a short while after I released it,
I had my first contact with "Pet Monster". Another overwhelming moment for me.
My favorite channel sends me a message! DANG! They asked me for permission to use my #createnothate video
in one of their "summary" videos. At first I couldn't believe it. That was an important channel (at least for me).
They supported so many awesome creators. And they really asked ME?
Of course I gave them permission to use anything they like! I knew it would help me grow my channel. Who would say no?!
And as foreseen, more and more other YouTube creators showed up and left (nice) comments.
Soon I found myself welcomed by an awesome community of diverse YouTubers, becoming a part of their "group",
supporting each other, becoming "online friends" (for years) with some.
You will learn more about that community - and how I finally became a MONSTER - in my next article.