My Plans for 2025!
Added 2025-01-12 08:50:56 +0000 UTCHey everyone!
I hope you had a great start to the new year and that 2025 is treating you well so far. For me, this year feels full of possibilities, and I’m both excited and anxious about the months ahead.
After losing my job at the end of 2022 and transitioning into freelancing, I had to move back in with my parents at the end of 2023. While living with family has its advantages, I’ve been really missing having a space of my own. Thankfully, since last summer, things have started falling into place, especially with my freelance work. So, I’m planning to move back to Berlin, where three of my siblings currently live.
At the moment, I’m waiting on a few documents to finalize, and once those come through (hopefully in a few weeks), I’ll begin searching for an apartment. Finding a place in Berlin isn’t exactly easy, especially as a self-employed artist, but I’m determined to make it happen.
My Plans for 2025
2024 was a really successful year for me, not just professionally but also on a personal level. It’s given me the motivation to aim even higher for 2025. So, what’s in store for this year?
Freelancing has been a game-changer, allowing me to earn good money again after the instability of 2023. But as I’ve learned from my time in the VFX industry, I want to focus more on creating my own projects and bringing my ideas to life. While client work can be fulfilling, it often comes with frustrations, you’re building someone else’s vision, not your own. On top of that, freelancing can feel draining if inspiration runs low. Unlike personal projects, there’s no room to take a break or shift gears when you’re on a deadline.
That’s one of the reasons I started this Patreon page. Following Ian Hubert’s Patreon over the years has been incredibly inspiring. He spends his time on his own projects, sets his own deadlines, and makes a living doing what he loves. Watching his videos sparks so many ideas for me, and I hope to do something similar by creating content that inspires others.
In 2025, I want to make Patreon and YouTube a bigger part of my creative life. My goal is to develop a system where creating videos feels fun and effortless. Right now, I earn around $100 a month from Patreon, which is encouraging considering how irregularly I post. But I’d love to take it to the next level. I’ve calculated that if I can grow that tenfold, consistently earning $1,000 a month, I would not have to rely on freelance anymore and could spend much more time here on Patreon.
This year, I’m going to experiment with different types of content to find what resonates with me and with you. Here are some of the ideas I’m considering. Let me know what you think!
Video Ideas for Patreon
R&D (Research and Development):
I love experimenting in Blender, whether it’s testing new workflows, figuring out how to create realistic ship wakes, or simulating rocket launches (like the teaser I shared earlier). These experiments often don’t result in a polished project, but they help me develop techniques that inspire future work. I’m thinking about recording these sessions to share my process.Speed Modeling:
When I worked in the VFX industry, I spent months on detailed models. Transitioning to YouTube and freelance work forced me to rethink my approach and focus on finishing projects quickly. That said, there’s something really satisfying about creating models from scratch. Inspired by Ian Hubert’s fast modeling style, I want to challenge myself to create assets, like a space rocket, in under an hour. The goal wouldn’t be perfection but efficiency and creativity.Creating a Short Film:
A while ago, I posted about wanting to do my own short film. Since then, I’ve decided to approach it differently. Instead of spending months or years on a single standalone project, I want to start with smaller animations that tell a cohesive story. Maybe just 7 different shots, that still tell a story, and is much more accessible for people outside of the Blender and 3D world. My plan is to record my process and share it with you.
YouTube Plans
On YouTube, I want to explore more personal content. In a few days, I’ll upload my first sponsored video. It’s about a Blender script I shared earlier. For this video, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and record a talking-head segment. (Lighting the room with just sunlight was a challenge, though!)
More broadly, I want to incorporate more of my personality into my channel. When AI tools first gained popularity, like many other artists, I felt uneasy. But over time, I’ve realized that what makes art special is the human connection behind it. Watching artists share not just their work but their lives on YouTube has been incredibly inspiring. Even when their style isn’t something I’d display in my home, I love seeing their process and getting to know them. This is something AI can’t replicate and something I want to get better at sharing myself.
Living with my parents makes experimenting with new ideas harder. It’s tough to step out of your comfort zone when you don’t have your own space. But once I move, I’ll have much more freedom to create and share content.
Thank you for being here and supporting me on this journey. I’m excited to see what 2025 holds, and I hope you’ll enjoy the ride alongside me.
Until then, have an amazing rest of your weekend!