I had no clue on what I wanted to do when I was younger, so I was pretty lucky with this YouTube thing.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
When I first thought about leaving the traditional route of a 9-to-5 career to pursue full-time YouTube, it was terrifying - not many people were doing it. The thought was I have to have money saved up, because this very likely might fail. From the start, I had to give it my all for it to work.
YouTube - holy cow! - I can do my career at my own pace. I didn't have anybody to tell me I wasn't ready, and I learned how to self-market and how to strategize. 'Spontaneous Me' had already been up on iTunes, but besides my mom and grandma, no one bought it. Once it was up on YouTube, it went crazy.
When I was, like, 16 or 17, I was just finding out about this YouTube thing. Then I saved a bit and asked my parents for some help to get the recording software and equipment.
There's a big difference between me and other YouTubers - a lot of them have big, concrete plans. I'm still this weird chicken with my head cut off. I don't know what I want to do next and haven't known that since I started.
I think YouTube used to have a negative connotation, like it was the place where the rejects went and made careers, but I'm proud to be YouTuber. I wanted to be in that first generation of YouTube stars who transitioned into the 'real world.' It was a really good way to build my business.
When my YouTube videos started to get really big, I was like, 'Man, this is pretty sweet.' It started as my hobby, and then I started traveling and learning how to play different instruments, and then it just kind of became my life.
YouTube is the new TV. I'm the voice of the young people. I feel like kids these days don't watch TV anymore... No, I will never leave YouTube. Never ever ever... If I do, you can do whatever you want to me.
The strange thing was, when I was starting on YouTube, even the paradigm of YouTube and Internet sensation - or whatever - that didn't really exist. So I didn't even know that that was a thing.
YouTube has changed my life in a huge way. I mean, I wouldn't be able to pursue music and do what I love each day if it wasn't for the YouTube platform and for the people who watch my videos and share them.
Growing up, I was always creatively inclined, and when YouTube came about, it was like getting the perfect platform to showcase what I wanted. Personally, I was going through a dark phase in my life, and I decided to make videos and basically go by the adage, 'If you want to cheer up yourself, go cheer up someone else.'