From Blogger to Vlogger?

Lately, there’s been some gentle (and persistent!) nudging from my hubby and eldest daughter, Alycia. Both of them seem to think I should step out of my comfort zone and become a vlogger — a TikTokker or YouTuber. “No one reads blogs anymore,” they said. “People only watch videos these days.”

And they’re not entirely wrong.

I, too, enjoy watching videos — especially ones of cats doing silly things or folks living simple lives in the countryside, cooking over open fires with breathtaking mountain views or a waterfall in the background. These videos calm me and inspire me.  But the thought of me being the one behind the camera, let alone in front of it? That’s a whole different story.

I told them my honest concerns.

First: I have absolutely no clue how to shoot or edit videos. All those jump cuts, background music, captions, transitions — it all seems so technical and overwhelming.

Second: Who would want to watch an “old lady” like me talk nonsense or film mundane things? I don’t have the glowing skin, polished background, pretty face, or influencer vibes going on.

Third: I haven’t found my niche. What would I focus on? What kind of videos could I make consistently without running out of ideas?

Fourth: Our home isn’t exactly “Pinterest-worthy.” It’s lived-in, cluttered, filled with memories, random things, and… more things. Not exactly a minimalist aesthetic.

And the biggest hurdle of all — I feel super awkward about showing my face or talking on camera.

But Alycia wasn’t having any of it. She showed me videos of aunties and uncles in their 50s, 60s, and even 70s cooking bizarre and “crappy” (in her words!) food, and they’ve got hundreds of thousands of followers! She reassured me that I don’t have to show my face or even talk — many creators film only their hands cooking or their cats lounging, and they still manage to draw an audience.

So what could I do?

I could start by filming my cooking — healthy meals, oil-free air frying, Cass’s figure skater diet, and my newfound obsession with arugula salads. I could film Haru being Haru — our adorable pandemic cat with a sixth sense for family tension. I could capture snippets of my everyday life — the chaos, the calm, and the unfiltered in-between.

But the question is — how long could I keep it up? Content fatigue is real. I’ve followed plenty of creators whose content grew stale or repetitive. Some recycle old footage just to keep the algorithm happy. Would I fall into that trap too?

Still… I must admit I’m tempted. There’s a part of me that’s curious. Maybe even excited. Could I really start a little channel, document my days, and earn some side income while doing it?

First things first — I’ll need to learn the basics of shooting and editing. I’ll need to brave the world of hashtags and captions and maybe even record a voiceover or two (without cringing at my own voice).

Alycia and my hubby keep saying, “It’s simple.” But I say — “Wait till you try it yourself!”

So tell me, dear readers (if there are still any blog readers out there!) — would you be interested in watching my videos if I started a channel? 😄

Let me know. And who knows… maybe the next time you see me, it won’t be in words, but in video.