I’ve been trying to find focus lately. Distinct from “Focussing” per se in that I am focused in what I am doing as far as generic, span-of-life things are concerned – I am more committed than ever to make it in the world of journalism. Sunset industry and lyricals aside, I believe there are huge opportunities in this field, but that is for another post – My problem is more in pinning down my field of focus. There are a number of factors that are at play here, and I am unsure which approach is the most efficient or effective.
I could, and people tell me that I should, leverage off my background in banking and finance and really charge down the path of financial journalism, and to be honest, it really is an attractive option. I’ve learnt that ultimately all reports, be they finance related or otherwise are basically about telling stories. The more interesting stories involve personalities, usually human. If you are able to do this effectively, then you will capture an audience.
I’ve seen parallels in the YouTube world too. The Youtubers with the most followers/subscribers or consistent viewers are the ones that tell stories. Self indulgent as they may be at times, they all ultimately tell a story or take people on an adventure. This resonates with me. It almost takes away any lofty goals that most of us set out to achieve when creating something unique, and boils it down to the very simple and universal concept of storytelling.
It reminds me of Cacofonix from the Asterix comics. Though he was a singer, it was the same concept – songs are just stories set to music!
Another option is to really pursue my interest in video production as a profession and create videos for mostly online content. This work excites me because it allows for creative storytelling via visual media. The product is immediately consumable and if done well, it will capture and hold the audience for it’s entirety. My only problem is that I must hone my trade in order for me to be truly happy and for it to be publishable. Or perhaps I am just being way too critical on myself.
To that end, I have already made a decision, even if somewhat tentative. I have started searching for financial journalism jobs, but at the same time producing video for the love of it. This seems like a good segway into my own self indulgent Youtube channel….
I hope you enjoy the stories!
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