To my online family,
How should I start this post? Iāve been a little absent on my blog lately, but only because Iāve been focusing on daily vlogging my time in Sweden. It feels good to be able to sit in front of my laptop and do what feels the most natural to me ā writing.
Today is Christmas Day. I woke up, checked my notifications and noticed that I had surpassed the 8,000 subscriber mark on my YouTube channel. In the grand scheme of things, itās a small number compared to most channels out thereā¦ and considering Iāve been running my YouTube channel for well over five years (or āseriouslyā for three years) it seems like a pretty unimpressive feat. Still, the growth of my channel in the past four months has given me hope that maybe Iām not too hopeless at creating interesting content? Or that my dorky personality somehow captures the attention of those out there?
Whatever the reason, Iām just grateful. To my subscribers. To my readers. To you. My online family. I know not every 8,001 of you are committedly watching my videos and reading my blog posts… Truthfully, I probably only hold the attention of a few hundred of the 8,001. But thatās fine. Iām okay with having a small audience āĀ it just means that I canāt āearn a livingā from making videos, as much as I would like to.
Money, career and societal pressures aside, the one thing that Iāve taken away from all of this is the connection Iāve had with so many like-minded individuals around the globe. Most days Iāll receive a message on Facebook or an email will pop into my inbox from someone who has been inspired by what I do. To know that I can give people the motivation they need to pursue their passion or seek help for mental health issues is affirmation of why I do what I do in the first place. I did it when I was in high school and I still do it now. I donāt think there will ever be a time in my life where I would stop doing it.
The privilege I have is that somehow you guys found me. Youāve given me the extra encouragement I need. I read every single comment, message, snap and letter you send me. Often, I try to respond to all of you. Sometimes Iām too busy to reply, but your words bring a little light into my life and for that, Iāll always be grateful.
You know, I quit my job this year because I didnāt feel a sense of accomplishment or fulfilment from doing it. But making videos, writing small little stories about life and forming a connection with others online brings me that fulfilment.
From the moment that I quit my job until now, Iāve realised that thereās nothing that can replace your passion. Give it time to grow. Invest in it. Even if it doesnāt exactly lead you to where you want to go, at least youāve gained something from it.
So yeah. Really, I just wanted to say thanks for giving me your time. In a world over-saturated with shiny content and big personalities, Iām thankful that youāve shared some of your moments with me.
God Jul (Merry Christmas) to all of you and letās have a smashing 2017 together.
Hugs,
Leonie xo.
