Life as the 2nd VP in a Ginormous Healthcare Union

I am having so much fun! I have to share! I should warn you though: this post is for geeks. OK. Fair warned? Then read on!

Last weekend I started editing some videos when the computer basically just choked. It seems my robust photo and video editing was just too much for my computer. So I had a choice: stop editing OR go get a new computer. Obviously I got a new computer, the most robust I could afford and added a 2T external hard drive. And then… I got a new editing program that works. Basically what I’m saying is that I geeked out. I do that sometimes.

Editing photos and videos is something I have done for years but never has it been as easy as it is now and I am so excited it’s a little hard to explain. Well, especially if you’re not really into editing videos. I find it soothing to be creative using technology. This is so true that when I was in a recent pageant, I submitted a video as my pageant talent.

For me, a hobbyist, it’s satisfying to watch a video roll to JUST that moment where you can see the mood you want to convey. Tinkering with audio to get the right sound and the best quality possible is more than just plugging in wires. It’s about knowing when you have nailed it. I would love to do this more, though to be clear, this is not a cry for help. I am not looking for the communications department of an organization to “find” me. I love the creativity. I would not love to suddenly find myself with deadlines and temperamental clients. I’m satisfied where I am professionally.

If you follow me on FaceBook, you know that for the last year, I’ve really been exploring FaceBook Live, a fun and easy way to connect to people. For a little while I was enthusiastic about Periscope, but because my Twitter following is so different than my FaceBook friends, I wasn’t connecting very well to my audience. I keep looking at Periscope as a place I’d like to return to, but that’s later.

More recently, I have launched my YouTube channel. For me, this feels like the big leagues. When YouTube first allowed people to upload videos, videos like Me at the Zoo was what went up. In fact, that video was the first video to be uploaded, making it YouTube’s oldest video. As videos went, it was about standard for the era. We didn’t yet know what YouTube would be when it grew up. Right now, 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. Times have changed – and so has created quality.

Initially I was using iMovie to create and edit my videos, but this was starting to get limiting because, as a previous Pinnacle user, I know how to work with fewer limits. Yes, iMovie will get you a good video. But for me, I wanted to play more and be more creative. My appetite for fun editing was really whetted by watching some of my YouTube favourites as they created their narratives. Some videos are talking heads, my preferred video format until now purely because it requires more organization than computer tech. But talking head videos are limiting if your message cannot be delivered as an endless monologue. And thus the new tech.

My enthusiasm for technology is heating back up. Stay tuned and follow me on YouTube. With any luck, I will soon be able to start creating in the capacity I love! I’ll still upload my talking head videos because I have much to learn about how to do that. But I can now play. This is a playground for creativity.

I am SO excited!!