20/11/2024
I guess the other thing about this is that I can understand that shifts happen in viewership, naturally. Especially when you've been doing this for over a decade and a half. Like myself, you get older, life milestones happen, focus shifts - your priorities are just different. However, I've never been one to give up on something, especially with the effort I've put in thus far. Even more so, the fundamental reason why I began the channel to begin with at a time where I had no audience, which was to create an online memory bank for myself to look back on, and to share in the fun of a fandom I love and enjoy.
So it was always important to me to not only balance what viewers wanted to see, but also with how it all fit for me. With that, the notable sacrifice was losing viewers who preferred consistency and a certain type of content. Unfortunately you can't win everyone. However, my persistence is consistent in itself, in that I never stopped creating - I just allowed it to fit within my life, in a way that's sustainable, and when I can fully commit and enjoy it.
And that would be my advice to other creators, especially those starting out, where you really have to be realistic about the landscape - don't compromise your own health and wellbeing for something that should be something you can enjoy. For some creators, it could be their whole livelihood, however to that I would err on the side of caution. Even in my peak, I never gave up my career, or compromised on my day-to-day skills for something that could be fleeting - it's too risky. However, whether or not you choose to put your eggs in one basket matters not - fundamentally, in any situation, you need to think about your physical and mental health. Burnout is not the way - chasing for views, subscribers, money, a race to be first, exclusive and so forth. That's a recipe for disaster.
I've seen it in myself, I've seen it in my peers, I've seen it in the industry.
So, me? I'm content.
Content with living a content creation life that is sustainable. That allows me to spend time on my family, my career path, and my life - whilst still allowing me to step into the fun where it works. Where it works for me and for you, my viewers.
And hey, the cadence may not be what people expect or want in this very short-attention-span kinda world we live in, but I'm at peace with the way things are, and the hump I had to cross to make myself okay with that.
Because, at the end of the day, the proof is in the pudding.
The results speak for themselves.
And if that's working, then that's really a bonus.
One thing is for sure, I'll always find my way creating content as and when works for me - viewership or not. For those who are always there in support, my viewers and sponsors included, I appreciate you a great deal.
It isn't always about numbers, and I'm so so glad I refuse to obsess too much over them.
Because what do you have outside of those numbers anyway?
What's outside of the content creation world?
It's your life. And you gotta make the most of it.
And that's my random thought process of the day!
I don't often share things like this, and I actually don't really look into my YouTube data all that much (despite being a data nerd, probably because the day job has plenty of it), but today I found myself on YouTube just being curious.
Curious looking at how things have changed since my peak viewership in 2016-2017, mostly tied in with major life-milestones, such as marriage, job changes, and becoming a parent.
I became used to seeing channel subscribers in the red, and that was okay. I had to adjust PokeCollection so that it fit within my life, not the other way around.
So to see the difference between 2023 and 2024 so far, it's insanely positive and encouraging too. I've never allowed data to dictate my journey in content creation, but it's been great to see a trend upwards again - a bit like a resurgence, or reboot like I saw when I first started the channel.
Wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your ongoing viewership and support, even though the content is different to what it once was. It's really cool to see, and I'm stoked I still get to jump into doing this wherever I find a moment.
Of course I plan to head back into streaming someday too, so there'll be plenty of antics to look forward to.
Appreciate the support! :)
- Asad
