cc from en.wikimedia.org Keb' Mo'
cc from commons.wikimedia.org Lerone Bennett
Now, I realize many bloggers also are YouTubers (as I am), but there's is a decided difference between those who prefer one over the other. This difference is likened to that of musicians and writers, which I've always noticed a stark contrast between – as I'm also a musician and a writer. Let's explore these differences.
YouTubers and musicians are more visually and hearing oriented, while bloggers and writers are more thoughtfully oriented.
Mom, dad, and most of my extended family are musicians (some writers too, incl. mom as a songwriter), so I became a musician too. Yet, I never really had what it took to commit to this art form, at least not as much as writing. Writing to me was much more natural and enticing.
Musicians, I've noticed, are more self-centered, while writers are always interested in other people and the things around them. While musicians consider themselves the most interesting thing in the room, a writer forgets they're even in the room.
When I was at my peak in my short career as a musician and poet in Eugene Oregon, I noticed the people I got along with the best were writers. Although we may have been the opposite in what we believed and our direction in life, the writers were always people I generally connected with naturally. The musicians, on the other hand, were always so hard to bring down to earth, which made it hard to relate with their distant thoughts and constant shifting.
YouTubers are sort of like musicians, in that they like to be heard, and most of them like to also be seen. I have about 50 videos or so on my two YouTube channels, but have never shown myself talking. I just have pictures of nature, and the sound quality is generally lacking.
Basically, YouTubing for me is a half-hearted effort, although I can see the great potential in it. In fact, if a person wants to make YouTube their career, get some professional video editing software and a nice microphone, and you'll have a good shot at this. Yet, I find myself simply wanting to write in my five blogs instead, bringing in my pennies a day.
Blogging is for the writers because that's what a blog is: articles. Yes, there could be a video, pictures, and other stuff, but words are the central theme of blogging. Words are silent and comforting to me, words are peaceful and helpful for me to understand life.
I can always tell when I'm around another writer, and can even gauge the depth of writing they're involved in. When I ask a person if they're a writer, I already know they are, yet I just want to know the extent of their writing and how much they've embraced the art.
Some writers don't know that they're even writers! Writers are a contradiction like this sometimes, so far in the background, yet wanting attention by writing about stuff for people to read. Bloggers are like this as well, because here we are writing in some quiet corner of the Internet, but we're aiming for as many people as possible to read our words. Make this post go viral for all I care, but for now, I'm just here silently and peacefully reflecting on what's on my mind.
See, being a musician or YouTuber as a preference, over being a writer or blogger, is such a contrast. Musicians are very present and actively rubbing elbows with their voice box and presence, while writers and bloggers are plotting and reflecting in silent places with words.
Both though, are looking to influence others and interact with people on some level with their art form. Both are artists trying to share something they've created.
Just wanted to share some thoughts about this subject, although I'm sure it's not trending on Google...
It may be interesting to some people, and especially for those trying to figure out if they're a writer or a musician by preference? I'm both, as I'm also a YouTuber and a Blogger, but I naturally realized that I'm intrinsically a writer, because every time I get around another writer I can see myself in them.
What are your thoughts on this? Please share, and hey: God bless you in your writing and YouTube efforts.
Originally published at Christian Blogger's Journal June 7, 2016
https://christianbloggersjournal.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-contrast-between-bloggers-writers.html#.XDaQjdJKivE