Typing from behind my laptop, I share all sorts of things about my life on this blog. But doing the same thing while talking with a camera pointed at my nose? That seemed terrifying to me for a long time. Still, I was itching to sometimes post videos on Instagram Stories. And that meant: just doing it and letting go of some unhelpful thoughts. I have taken on the challenge a few times and I find it surprisingly fun. Because I am certainly not the only one with a fear of videos, I am sharing 5 insights that help me to dare to turn on the video camera on my phone.
Fear of videos, why?
Typing articles from behind my laptop feels very safe for some reason. I don’t mind at all that all sorts of things can be found on the internet – from my breakfast this morning to my biggest vulnerabilities and sometimes even slightly embarrassing habits. But strangely enough, I do find it exciting to appear on camera talking . I often need 10 takes before I think a congratulatory video for a girlfriend is good enough.
When typing stories, I may keep a certain distance; people see me in photos, but don’t have a real image of what I’m like on moving images. As soon as you talk in front of the camera, people get an even better image of you . So I was quite nervous to appear at Man Bites Dog 2.5 years ago . Only to realize afterwards that it wasn’t that bad and that video can actually be nice. Especially if you want to tell something nice or beautiful in between, but don’t want to type endless stories about it under an Instagram post.
For me, that meant: full on fear! These 5 insights helped me to tackle the fear of video.
1. No one will put your video under a magnifying glass
If you listen to your own video ten times and do so with a very critical eye, you will probably stumble over every word. But realize that you look at your videos very differently (and much more critically) than anyone else. The average viewer will not pause your video to see how “crazy” the corner of your mouth hangs at second 00:57. And most Instagram users watch so many videos in a day that they really don’t pay attention to your Gooisch R or lisping S. It’s about what you say, not about how professionally or not you present it all.
Moreover, you don’t need to be a good editor with flashy equipment to make videos. You can often make edits quite easily on your phone. Cutting something is a piece of cake, even if you don’t have editing skills. And with the great (and free!) app Movavi you can easily paste videos together or create nice transitions. Super nice if you prefer not to record a video in one take!
2. Your voice is not crazy
Like probably many people with me, I have been saying for a very long time that my voice is weird. Of course, this is because you hear your voice differently in your head than other people hear it. In addition, a number of comments have always continued to reverberate in my head. That one person who once shouted “Waaah, you really have a Gooische R!” (I found that a bit of a swallowing moment, and I am not even Gooisch!). And that classmate in the second grade who told me that my voice was annoying. And also the primary school teacher who called me in after class because my reading voice was so boring and monotonous. The latter was almost 20 years ago. Yet until a few years ago, when I recorded videos or audio, I still always heard that teacher from back then babbling somewhere in my head.
Fortunately, I am now okay with my voice. This is just my unique voice and it belongs to me. With or without Gooische R. Letting go of the idea that my voice would be different has already helped me enormously to dare more.
Celine Charlotte also gave a great tip in her podcast about recording Stories (highly recommended!). Realize that the people around you hear this voice of yours every day . That you are not used to it is more your fault. Moreover: apart from voice actors and singers, there will not be many people who are confident about their voice.
3. Let go of the need for everyone to wait for you
In the beginning, I often had the feeling that not everyone around me was waiting for content with my head on it all the time. It is also likely: there will undoubtedly be people who find what you post lame, unnecessary or – the horror! – even annoying. But should those few people be a reason not to make the videos you so much want to make? No, of course not.
Luckily, I was able to let go of that idea thanks to my blog. I know that not everyone in my environment will find it equally interesting that I share my (not very) exciting life in detail on my blog and Instagram almost every day. But would I stop doing that if I really enjoy doing it, just because those few people might click away or hit the Unfollow button? No.
Funny enough, you often have a person in mind who you think “She has an opinion about this!” when that thought crosses your mind. For example, your colleague who you know for sure does not like these types of videos at all. But then think about it: is that person the person you want to reach with your site or Instagram? Probably not. Rather make your videos, blog articles or photos with the other people in mind who will appreciate them. You can also make your Stories invisible to certain people, such as that colleague.
For comparison: if a friend of mine posts a call video on LinkedIn for a new plumber for her job, that doesn’t interest me that much either. Does that change my image of her? No, not at all, because I know that video is not meant for me. Does it bother me? No, because scrolling through is a breeze. At most I’ll think “It’s nice that she’s recording a video for this”.
4. The threshold is as high as you make it
My fear of videos probably also had something to do with the fact that my threshold was more or less at ceiling height. I would first like to be a fully-fledged video maker who knows everything about editing, has taken a course in speaking on camera and who can do it all flawlessly in one go. But hey, if you don’t have five years of experience and don’t make videos every day, you can’t expect to make something great right away. Besides: Instagram Stories are just everyday videos. They really don’t have to be that professional and well thought out.
That’s why I decided to lower my threshold. You want to inspire people, share tips or show your expertise. Then the story you tell is much more important than how you deliver it and how slick your video looks. Better done than perfect is now my strategy. Not re-recording a video a hundred times, but deciding after three takes that this has to be it.
You don’t have to be great to start something. In fact, you have to start somewhere before you can possibly be great . And if you always remain mediocre at it , there’s nothing wrong with that. Most things you do just because you like them, not because you have to win prizes.
5. Do, do, do!
I think there is only one way to get rid of the fear: just do it. Make videos, film them and endure the discomfort of seeing yourself talking on screen. The more often you make a video, the more you will get used to it. And also: the better you will become at it.
I now force myself every time I think “I want to record something about this!” to make a video of it. Just to experiment with it and get more comfortable with it. And to slowly start liking it more and more. Of course, besides writing on my blog, because writing remains my no. 1 passion.
