I find myself in the middle of a crucial phase in life right now – a huge transformation where everything including my interests, perspectives, beliefs and opinions are transforming and evolving.
I’m very interested in exploring the world of classic literature. I’ve read Letters to a Young Poet by Rilke and Hard Times by Dickens so far. I’m in love with the way Dickens writes, so I’m planning to read all his books. A few other authors in my list are: Virginia Woolf, Franz Kafka, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Cormac McCarthy and Ursula K. Le Guin.
I also find myself drawn to (and at times, relating to) existentialism. I would like to read and learn more about philosophers like Sartre, Camus and Nietzsche.
I’m also curious about Carl Jung.
Since I’m in the very beginning stages of this exploration, I believe documenting my journey would be not only interesting but also helpful.
As fellow readers and book lovers, what would you likely expect to see in a YouTube channel from me?
I’m welcoming any and all ideas, thank you so much in advance <3
EDIT: The direction I’m thinking of with this endeavor is more like a “video diary” and less like a “literary analysis channel”
by sherlyockholmes
5 Comments
> As fellow readers and book lovers, what would you likely expect to see in a YouTube channel from me?
I’ll preface this with the fact that I am not sure who you are or if you’re well known, so apologies beforehand that I am not familiar with you.
There’s plenty of terrible YouTube channels covering different philosophy topics and so on. Not saying yours would be terrible, but most likely it would be the same analysis as every person before you. It is just not that interesting facing an existential crisis and finding answers in Sartre, Heidegger and so on.
I am curious, what do you think you will bring to these subjects that’s interesting? There are already plenty of good resources if the goal is understanding (books, SEP, etc).
I would maybe look more into a short format like Tik Tok or Insta Reels. Like the other commenter has also mentioned, I’d also be expected more of an in depth analysis (that would also probably deep dive into comparative analyses from other experts) from a whole YouTube channel, and basically something more like expert level and scholarly.
Something more short format on more conventional social media would, in my opinion, lead better to a series like “hey I’m very new to exploring these topics but they interest me so come along on this journey.” It would also probably lead to a better establishment of some sort of community with similar interests for you to interact with, which is what I think the bigger appeal would be. So basically, be transparent that you’re in the beginning stages of this exploration and looking to document this journey and find some likeminded people to explore this with.
Do quick check ins periodically and be clear about what you are confused by, what you had to look up, etc. (For example, I’ve enjoyed reading Sartre’s plays, but if I was doing an instareel like this, I would clarify I never read his Being and Nothingness or formally studied existentialism so my understanding of its intricacies are pretty surface level.) Pepper in phrases like “to my understanding” instead of presenting any analysis you may give as a fact. Don’t wait to do whole book summaries and instead make it fairly regularly scheduled even if you’re in the middle of a book or haven’t read much lately.
Include some level of personal details about this life phase you’re in right now and how it relates to your reading journey instead of purely focusing on the books. Obviously keep to your comfort level, but even just saying something vague like you had a “personal experience” that caused a major transformation in your interests which is what sparked this endeavor would be nice to make this a bit more about you and less about the books themselves. Or just referencing your beliefs before this time in your life and how a book shaped your personal perspective and any ways you think that will adjust how you approach life moving forward. Basically, I’d want to feel like I know a bit about you as a person.
I think this format would lead better to making it seem like you’re using this as a video diary about your experience reading these books instead of it seeming like you’re trying to make a literary analysis channel.
(Edited to add paragraph breaks.)
Maybe keep a reading journal on a website like LibraryThing or your own notebook.
It still counts as thinking, even if nobody else is watching you do it.
I wouldn’t bind up reading with making videos. It could start to make reading feel like work. A failure at gaining popularity could discourage you from reading. And lastly, I’ve found that attempting to share your growth on the internet can inadvertently stunt your growth, publicly locking you into certain opinions or forever preserving a record of opinions you grow out of
Is there a reason you think you need a YouTube channel to document your philosophical journey?