http://youtu.be/DVGjBZ_MLvo?list=UUJagEOIIiJ1T2CtC8et2Mtw

Creative ways of expressing yourself aren’t limited to just pen and paper anymore; YouTubing and blogging gives the same effect. With YouTube and blogs, students are able to express themselves freely among a wide audience. Putting yourself out there can be frightening, but it can also be a confidence booster.  

YouTube

Instead of Youtuber Tyler Oakley’s original tag line: “Eat, Slay, Love,” for some students it’s: “Eat, YouTube, Love.” Over the years, more and more people are either tuning into the world of YouTube or hitting the record button themselves, opening iMovie and becoming official YouTubers. Junior Cody Clark is just one example of those partaking in this new phenomenon.

Clark has been an active member of YouTube for 10 months. Seeing his favorite YouTubers such as Jenna Marbles and Mark Miller express themselves so openly via videos prompted Clark to start posting his own videos.

“It’s just really fun and you never really know where it’s going to go until it happens,” he said.

Clark enjoys comedy skits and vlogs, but has yet to decide what kind of trend he wants his videos to follow.

“I’m still playing around with it to see the stuff that I’m into, but what I want to do is to start doing vlogging and comedy skits. I just need better equipment for that,” said Clark.

Initially, Clark posted multiple videos every month during the summer. But with the stress of school and cross country, Clark has whittled down to uploading once every few months.

However, he hopes to get back in his stride and start posting again once every month.

“It’s really difficult […] a lot of people don’t know that. It takes a lot of time and effort,” said Foothill alumna and Youtuber Karina Schink, who regularly uploads “confidence vlogs”  on her YouTube channel.

Although he knows that some Youtubers use their videos to gain fame and more “likes,” Clark isn’t interested about this aspect of Youtubing.

“I don’t really focus on how many likes I get. I like it more when people come up to me and say ‘hey, that was pretty funny’ or they’ll ask me ‘hey, can I do a video with you?’” he said.

Clark is still unsure of whether or not he will continue uploading videos after he goes to  college. Although he has considered acting, Clark would rather major in film.

Clark advises those who wish to start posting videos to “do it and if people try to tell you not to or try to bring you down, don’t listen to them.”

“Do your own thing because you don’t need to do it to get popular or get famous, just do it because you want to do it and do it to have fun. Don’t be pressured with all that nonsense,” said Clark.

Blogs

Unlike YouTube, blogging doesn’t require the hassle of filming and editing videos. However, just like YouTube, blogs allows people to openly express themselves in a creative and individualistic way.

Junior Bailey Liljekvist has been active on her blog for almost a month and updates it regularly. Writing from a religious point of view, Liljekvist’s blog offers a unique and special perspective on life and its trials.

“I’m a really strong Christian. I’m really involved in my church, so it’s nice to talk about it and stuff and tell people what it’s all about and what I believe in,” she said.

Her ideas for blogs usually come from everyday happenings. If something occurs that’s worth noting, she writes it down.

Because her writing is not restricted, Liljekvist’s favorite part about being a blogger is that she “[gets] to freely express [herself] without being judged about it.”

“I like to write out my emotions. When I’m having a bad day or something like that, I like to write it all down,” Liljekvist said.

At times, she feels overwhelmed from trying to keep up with school as well as updates on her blog. In order to do both, Liljekvist likes to make to-do lists to manage school and blogging.

Liljekvist plans on continuing her blogs even after high school. She hopes to major in Youth Ministry or become a missionary.

Besides spending her time posting blogs, Liljekvist also has a YouTube channel and films videos with junior Emily Marostica.

“We’re just kind of getting started. We’re trying to figure out what ideas we should do,” Liljekvist said

Liljekvist explained her advice for students who are planning on starting a blog.

“Just don’t focus on the likes and dislikes of it. If you’re posting and writing what you want to write about, then that should make you happy.”

Background Photo Illustration Credit: Chloey Settles/The Foothill Dragon Press