ISSUE 2 ◦ by Heidi Horchler

ALWAYS LEARNING | 9.13.19

Hello from the Genius Bar,

Ahhh, the Apple store with its clean surfaces, shiny new things and ever-hip geniuses. I’m here because I’m trying something new this month - live streaming - and my laptop is not happy about it. So off to the genius bar I go.

So, what is live streaming, and why am I even bothering, you ask? Well, when you watch a video on YouTube or Netflix, you are streaming that video, meaning the data is coming at you in a steady stream. That’s why when you have a poor wifi connection, the video stalls; because the data stream has been interrupted. Alternatively, when you download a video to your device, the data doesn’t have to stream, because it’s held locally on your device.

Live streaming is pretty much what it says - the video is being streamed at the same time it’s being filmed, kind of like your live local news broadcast. There is no editing, and whatever happens, happens. Streaming video is popular among gamers because they can watch action and see the player’s reaction as it is happening. And now with services like Twitch offering categories like art, music, singing and craft, the creative community is getting on board as well. Other places for live streaming video are YouTube and Facebook Live. Instagram stories also has a live option but you’re pretty much relegated to your single phone camera. The other platforms allow you to use a multiple camera input using a webcam and broadcasting software.

This set up is only necessary if you need to show 2 things at once, like with me, I used the webcam to do an overhead shot of my desk, and the built-in laptop camera to film myself so that I can answer viewer questions directly and have more of a one-on-one conversation with the audience as I work.

If you’re the type that doesn’t need to demo anything but just needs to talk to your audience, I think you can get by with just your laptop camera. And the reason I was at the Apple Genius bar is that all of this streaming is a bit much for my trusty ol’ MacBook Air. Hopefully I’ll get a handle on it cause I think it’s a pretty cool thing to be able to do.

So why do live streaming in the first place?

1. As a fan of the artistic process, I love watching people work. I like to see how someone makes the thing that they’re making, and follow along. It can be mesmerizing. In turn, I like sharing my own process as well.

2. I’ve been hearing a lot lately about vulnerability. It’s something that I think I’m pretty good at sharing in my personal life, but has been a difficult step for me professionally.

Vulnerability. Brené Brown, Author, speaker, PhD in social work, and research professor at the University of Houston, has extensively researched vulnerability which she describes as, “To let ourselves be seen. Deeply seen.”

It is the “birthplace of joy, creativity, belonging, and love.” In our personal lives, it is when we let our best friend see that we’re struggling with family issues. When we let our spouse see that we feel we’re failing in some aspects of parenting. These things are expected. We know that everyone goes through them, and we understand.

But professionally, if we admit we’re overwhelmed, or we feel like we’re in over our heads, or we completely and totally crash and burn, we feel like to admit it, we’d be admitting failure. And if you admit that, how do you expect anyone else to invest in you, as an employer or client?

If you admit professionally that you’re struggling, it’s a sign to your boos that you aren’t at the top of your game; to your competitors, that you have a weakness to exploit; to coworkers, that you’re unreliable. To followers or fans, that you’re full of sh*t. You’re admitting defeat. How could any of them ever respect you again? Right??

Because. You have the bravery to admit that you’re not perfect. The you don’t really know what you’re doing and that you’re trying to figure it out as you go along. And guess what? Everyone else is, too. That’s why it pays to be vulnerable, to let everyone see the struggle. Because it shows them that they’re not alone. That we are all in it together; we’re all human.

Does this hit home with anyone else?

So while Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and the lot can all be curated, edited, and polished feeds, a livestream is out in the open. If you burp, or your dog is snoring, or you sneeze, or you draw a horrible circle, or color outside the line, it’s all exposed for the viewer to see. Frightening? For you maybe. But for your audience, it tells them that maybe you’re a little more human that they might have thought. You mess up just like them, and you might not know what the heck you’re doing either. It’s all good. None of us do.

If you’d like to see me live stream, and mess up a LOT, check Twitch, Facebook, or Instagram as I figure out which platform will work best for me. Feel free to skip through to the interesting points, and ask questions if you have any. And be gentle with me. It’s hard to show your soft side. We’ll figure this out together :)

Latest updates from me, and other places where you might find some inspiration:

And for the other perfectionists out there…

Non-arty, but worthwhile finds:

This Month’s Project!

Color along with me! Right now I’m working on watercoloring this page. You can print it on regular paper to color with colored pencils or crayons; or try printing it on watercolor paper and painting!

AS always, feel free to ask questions. Reach out through any of the social links on my website (below) or email me at heidhorch@gmail.com.

DISCLAIMER: I can’t stand ads on websites. I do not put advertising, click bait, pop-ups or anything like that on my website. I also do not have a “donate” button or a Patreon site. If you would like to support me, you can do that by either purchasing my artwork, or by sharing my work with others. Please forward this email, share my posts on facebook, or even just tell someone about me. I much prefer a grassroots effort of sincere supporters over gimmicky promotion. Please let me know if you would prefer some type of online “tip jar.”

I am ever grateful for your support.

xo,

Heidi