Hello Lovely Studio

Nick Harner put together after we made the longer
one filmed in one continuous take where I
answer 50 questions about our renovation
and myself and show you around our
fixer upper.

Here's the short one which has no dialogue yet
gives you a feel for the project and my personality.




Introducing video feels like a gamechanger
because the level of engagement changes.

Big time.

For example,
I could try to convince you with words
that I'm fleshy and flawed and fun,
but a video makes a case quickly.

Here's a version in black

Viewing myself on video is not my favorite,
but I have gained perspective as to just how
powerful video reigns in social medialand and
how it continues to re-shape the landscape of blogging.

I mean, I have understood video's impact since the
early 1980's when my friends and I filmed with beta
for our local cable station...yes, young people,
there was a lack of content to broadcast on the air
locally in the Reagan years so teens like us
could stop by the studio,
rent professional equipment for free, and get
our crazy indie films seen on TV for nothing!
(If you missed my starring role on cable in the
groundbreaking Spazz the Cat, truly you
have been culturally deprived.)

But I think I forgot that my lifestyle and home blogging,
which is indeed storytelling, could evolve and grow
if I was willing to leave my comfort zone.

Hello Lovely Studio

There's an authenticity and depth video brings to
blogging which images alone simply cannot deliver.

I'm a writer.
A creative soul wired for words.
I mainly write to discover and usher
my heart's stirrings into the light.
I write to express wonder and to play with it.
On Hello Lovely, I write mainly to exclaim
"Look at the beauty here...isn't it inspiring!?!"

Hello Lovely Studio

In spite of theatre in my background
(and probably in my DNA), creating video
is vulnerable territory because the
curtain gets pulled back.

Vulnerable not only because my appearance, manners,
and surroundings will be judged and weighed,
but because the behind-the-writer-mystique
sort of dissipates...yes?

The humorous, weird-but-nice-and-spiritual,
smart yet only slightly snobby
bloggerfairy of pretty rooms
is suddenly a barefoot aging woman
with a Chicago accent
in wrinkled thrifted turtleneck
(why didn't she iron or check the mirror?)
inviting you into private spaces.

It's tempting to reside in the safety and shadow
of that mystique where you can't be hurt as easily.

Hello Lovely Studio

I watched the video and realized
that in significant ways, there's no turning back.
People don't consume video simply because
of short attention spans or how busy they are,
but because video engages their senses.

If I have something important enough to
share online, then I have to be
mindful about engagement.

I learned recently that
65% of viewers will watch more
than 3/4 of a video, while only a small
percentage will read that much text.

I'm not saying I plan to write less, but I do
see myself pushing 'record' more often
and bringing a multi-layered approach
to tell stories with more depth and meaning.

Hello Lovely Studio

It's like ol' granny here (who possesses not
a techie bone in her body and aint the
strongest swimmer) is conquering a fear of
those changing tides of social media,
not by dipping in a toe, but by diving right in.

Whoa.

Whether you are a blogger or not,
I'd love to hear your thoughts either in
a comment here or an email about how
video is impacting social media.

And if you like any of the graphics I made here,
please feel free to pin away and share them!

Hello Lovely Studio

In the mood for more posts where it gets personal?
You might like these.

Bread, Beauty, and Healing
Growing Hello Lovely
Living with BRCA
Post Election Prayer

What has been a gamechanger for you lately?

Peace to you right where you are.