Hi everybody.

This video is sort of a response to Charlie Mcdonell's most recent video, but it's also a response to Mikeleh's recent video, um, in which he talks about, uh, how Charlie's video, uh... if you guys haven't seen it there's a link in the description. Um. Helps us uh.. it's- it's  sort of like a- a rallying call for creators to say "I, also, am terrified".

Um, and uh... and I think that's probably beyond creators, because we sort of are all creators, that's one of the great things about this brave new world..um.

But even before this brave new world we were all creators, we create friendships, we create our personas, we create ideas, um... and so I- I, a-a-and, and the creating those things is terrifying, because you're creating them to get people to- like idea- like the-the point is to get people to accept and enjoy you and like you and to make- um- your impact on the world be a positive one, and... um.. there is no guarantee that that's going to work, that the way that you create your- yourself, and also things to share with people, because you know creating yourself is kind of a- a thing that you create to share with people, it's- it's a creation, um, and we don't think of it that way, and- and there's this idea that you should just "be yourself" and I've never liked that idea, um, of course you should just be yourself, you shouldn't try to put on, try to pretend to be something that isn't comfortable to you, but, what is yourself?

No one, I didn't get like a little description, when I, you know, turned thirteen that said like "here's the kind of person you are: when you drink out of cups you stick your pinky out cause.. and when, you know, you- you like your hair to be this way and- and, you're nerdy so you should wear glasses and.." you don't get that. 

You don't get to find out who you're- who you're s'posed to be. That's not a thing, it'd be nice if it was. Um.. bu- so we're- we're all sort of creating (moves head forward)

(continuing to move head in a more exaggerated fashion whilst grinning) And uhmaahh-haven't-really-explored-this, (stops moving head) very far, but I find it fascinating, so maybe I- I'll make a more complicated video about this in the future, but we're- we're all cre- like the idea of self is a creation, and it's created by.. th-the individual who- who possesses the self. 
Now, it's cont- like- it's -there are contributions to that, like I- ea- each of us creates based on frameworks uh... you know like, like expectations that our parents or teachers or friends have of us, like those go into our creation of the self, and there are, you know the expectations of culture in society and television and, y-you know, magazine ads.

um... but we, and so, and so that's all, that's all creation, and, and just like, you know putting a YouTube video online is terrifying, being a person in the world is terrifying and talking to someone in- and- and showing them yourself and- and not just a-and- and not just "yourself" self um.. but like, the creation that you've laid on top of yourself. 

But then even, a-and and that's less terrifying often times. Even- even if the pers- even if the thing- the fake thing that you're creating is- is less enjoyable and less cool uh... then the- the thing underneath, sometimes its better to share that fake thing, not better, but sometimes it feels better to share that fake thing, cause at least they aren't judging "you" you, they're judging the fake you, that you've put out there for people to look at.
um.. and that's- that's fascinating, because its a terrible thing to do but its-its a- its entirely inspired by fear and- and working, you know, working u- u- upon, in that way is never a good idea, like ne- its never a good idea to- to- ins- to- to have your- all of your creations inspired by fear..um, and that generally turns out to be bad. 

But the- um.. but it's.. it's- it's fascinating to think that we will sometimes.. do that, that we'll sometimes create this sort of fake us to share with people, um, because it's less scary to share the fake thing, cause at least then they're not judging the real thing..um.

The question of course being then what the real thing is, if the- the- the- 'cause, you know, if you adopt a fake persona, if you- ev- you eventually just start to feel like that person, and that's especially bad if you've created it just as a shell, uh- just as a- a wall to protect you from other people, um, and so- and so i-its- it's one thing to say, Charlie, that um, that you've in-inspired people like me, fellow creators to say "yeah, I mean when I'm making things it's really scary to say 'okay I have to put this out in the world and see if people are gonna like it or not'" um... I honestly, you know, I- I honestly don't think that Charlie that is necessarily uh, your problem, I don't think that may- that- uh may- real- necessarily think that that's Charlie's problem, I think that Charlie's problem is more like he holds himself to a very high standard, more than, um, the- the people who watch him hold him to a high standard. 

Uh, of course we do like to be entertained by him, but it is not like we're ever disappointed by a Charlie video, that's one of the amazing things about Charlie videos- this is turning out to be a very long video and I apologize. 

But, um.. but it's- it's also a call out to all people who create, which includes all people, and uh.. to say "yes, I acknowledge, and we should all acknowledge that we are terrified, um.. of not being accepted, of our creations not being accepted and the most important creation that we all have, that we all share with the world is the creation of self, um, and so we, we have to share that, and we have to.. um... we have to accept that some people aren't going to like it, and some people are, and- but the most important thing is that we create a self that we think is a pos- like, is a- i-is positive and that we, you know, that- that ma- that is in line with our values and that, um, that creates a- a... better... world."

And.. um, and the great thing about creating self is that when, if you do it well, then, you become a good person, and that's pretty cool. 

Um.. so.. everyone: keep making cool selves, out of yourself. And uh.. and don't- don't make fake selves to protect- to protect yourself. And um.. and then on top of all of that, don't be afraid to share it, because... if we learnt anything from- from Charlie, and from YouTube in general, it's that people sharing themselves is a really... wonderful, and uh... wonderful thing uh.. for them and for the people who get to, who get to watch. 
So, um, and that- that goes for friendship as much as it goes for YouTube- even more so. 

Uh, so thank you, uh, everyone, for watching this seven minute long Hankschannel video if you got through all of it, um, maybe I can condense this down into something a little bit more.. pithy and, uh... and, um.. well-structured for a Vlogbrothers video or something.