Thank you.
What. A. Year.
When I decided last year to start my YouTube channel, Second Life Spectrum, and set a lofty goal of one video per week, I had no idea what I was signing up for. Spoiler: it was a lot. I had to learn, unlearn, and relearn every creative skill I thought I already had. Fun times.
My first videos? They took 30 hours to make. Yes, 30. I was up late on Sunday nights, fuelled by caffeine and stubborn determination, just to hit that Monday morning deadline. These days, Iāve trimmed that down to about 20 hours, which sounds better until you realise Iām juggling a full-time job, real life, Second Life, and making time for friends and my very patient partner (bless his soul).
The best part? Seeing all your comments. Even the snarky ones kept me going. Hitting 1,000 subscribers for Second Life Spectrum felt surreal, like, are you sure youāre all here for me?! But I wonāt lie, burnout hit hard. There were moments when no story seemed worth telling. And while my goal has always been consistency, I refuse to waste your time with filler content. If I release something, itās because I believe it deserves your attention.
Letās recap, shall we? My top video this year was āAvatarLife vs Second Life.ā No shocker there. Itās always a hot topic. I plan to visit AvatarLife more next year, not just to see whatās new but to stay informed about how platforms like theirs are evolving. While theyāve certainly sparked some debate, Iām open to exploring their updates and learning more directly from the source. As they say, knowledge is power.
My most-watched short came from āIs It Worth Joining Second Life in 2024?āfeaturing beautiful words from one of my dearest friends:
As for Second Life Spectrum livestreams? My most chaotic (and popular) was my very first, featuring Kiwi (aka Blueberry), French vlogger BollyCoco, and my co-host Kira. Letās just say Kiwi was responsible for the mayhem, but it was a blast anyway, and I canāt wait to have her in the studio again in 2025.
Now, a moment of gratitude: thank you for putting up with me. For the kind messages, the cheeky ones, and even the āWhere did you get that dress?!ā DMs. Thank you for suggesting topics, for engaging, and for keeping me inspired.
Huge thanks to all the creators I interviewed this year. Youāre the real MVPs. For some of you, you were just kind enough to answer my questions or even reach out to thank me for representing your perspective. Apparently, nobody does it quite like me (your words, not mine, but Iāll take it!).
That said, let me offer a quick apology if Iāve ever pointed fingers with my shorts. Constructive criticism is the name of the game, and letās be honest, who else is going to keep you on your toes? In the end, I still end up buying the stuff I didnāt know I needed until I saw it.
Well, resisting isnāt exactly my strong suit. I can practically feel Tunder rolling his eyes from across the screen, probably muttering something about my ever-growing inventory. But hey, cute things are my kryptonite; whatās a girl to do?
So, thank you for creating things that make my wallet cry and my inventory rejoice.
And to my muse and partner in crime, Tunder: youāve survived two and a half years of my chaos. You deserve a medal. (Or earplugs.)
Quick apology if I donāt always reply promptly. Iām not ignoring you, but I probably forgot. Feel free to poke me again. Iāll blame my multitasking brain and endless to-do list.
So, whatās next? Plenty. Iāve got stories lined up for next year, and while Iāll aim to stick to my Monday schedule, you know me, sometimes inspiration strikes, and I just have to share.
Shorts will keep coming because, while they may seem quick, they actually take me at least an hour to put together. Between sourcing the right pics or videos, itās not like I can just snap a selfie in Second Life, and editing, theyāre a labour of love. But honestly? I enjoy every second of it. Theyāre such a fun way to showcase Second Life in bite-sized moments.
Want to collab? Dance? Be in a video? Letās do it. Have ideas? Drop them in the comments or DM me. Iām all ears.
When I started my channel, I had big plans to write a blog post for every long-form video. That didnāt happen. I managed to post a few here and there, but keeping up was tough. AI may have changed the blogging game, but my website still gets decent traffic (thank you, loyal readers!). And some of you just prefer reading over watching; I totally get that.
So, during my break, Iām hoping to catch up on blog posts from past videos. Who knows, I might even get into a rhythm and stay consistent moving forward. But life happens, and, well⦠no promises.
Oh yes, Iām on a two-week break. Sounds like a dream, right? Except knowing me, ādoing nothingā is a fantasy that will never come true. Itās not like YouTube shuts down just because I decided to take a breather. Who am I kidding? Iāll probably end up working on something anyway, but hey, we can all pretend Iām sipping margaritas on a beach somewhere, canāt we?
Well, if youāve made it this far and youāre feeling like Second Life might be for you, or maybe youāre thinking about making a comeback, donāt overthink it. Yes, itās complex, and yes, itās unlike anything else out there. But thatās part of what makes it special.
Sure, the learning curve can feel steep, but hey, Rome wasnāt built in a day and neither is the perfect avatar. Take the plunge, give it a try, and who knows? You might just discover a world youāll absolutely love.
Drumroll, please! My final video of the year drops on the 30th, and let me tell you, Iām so excited, I can barely sit still. In fact, Iām so hyped that Iāve included a little teaser in my latest video (back to the top). Consider it a sneak peek at the Second Life Spectrum finale of whatās been an absolutely wild ride of a year. Oh, and did I mention the teaser stars none other than Philip Rosedale? Yep, the man himselfādonāt miss it!
Thank you all for making this journey so incredible. Your support, comments, and love mean the world to me. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, a fabulous New Year, and hereās to even more amazing moments in 2025.
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