My YouTube inspiration for you

YouTube is the future and I’m ready to be part of it! So here I am with my first home-made starring video, along with some useful links that might inspire you to explore YouTube as either a viewer or as a videographer.

My glamorous two-minute debut is all about my favorite inspirational passage.

As many of my friends and former students already know, this selection comes from Anne Lamott’s 1994 memoir, “Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life.”

The text to the actual passage appears in an earlier post. When I blogged it back in the ancient days of Summer 2010, sharing written words felt good enough.

But not anymore. We’re living in a multimedia communication age where people are viewing 3 billion YouTube videos every single day, according to Mashable.com. Even a former luddite like me is on YouTube watching old music videos, how-to tutorials and cute animal segments.

Which is why I’m looking forward to connecting with everyone on my YouTube channel, where I’ve saved videos I’ve made as well as favorite videos that I watch. The set-up is very social media in its ability to build followers and allow comments.

Of course, I also have a very practical reason for going YouTube. In my new job as a digital journalist, I’m supposed to do everything from reporting and writing stories to blogging, tweeting, taking photos, shooting video and who-knows-what-else. But even though I assured my new bosses that I can handle video, I actually need A LOT more practice at it.  (Oooops, hope they’re not reading this…!)

Thank goodness for the One-to-One trainers at the Apple Store. During our weekly, 50-minute sessions, they showed me how to make videos on my MacBook Pro. I can’t even recall how many times I made those poor instructors explain the iMovie editing program. But I’m making progress! (To read more about how One-to-One works for me, go here.)

Maybe I should stop babbling and just let you watch this thing already. Note: The supporting cast includes Rosebud, the family dog. I dragged her in front of the camera for moral support. Okay. Ready?

So how’d I do? Didja “like” it or “share” it?  ~_~

Now that I’m not teaching college classes anymore, I can see myself posting some videos on reporting and writing. I’ve also gotten requests for cooking videos, especially after a former student did one of me making my Asian-inspired brown rice crispie treats for LeaveItBetter.com.

And now, what about you?

• To get you thinking, Mashable.com has an excellent post: “YouTube in 2011: How Its Busy Year Affects You.” This rather long, comprehensive piece offers a rundown of latest YouTube developments and stats, as well as links to 2011’s most popular YouTube videos in various categories.

• If that post feels too techno, I have a simple, introductory post that I wrote last semester for my students. It gives a pretty clear presentation on what YouTube offers.  :)