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- I have been putting this off for the longest time, but no more. I just need to, just need to come out and say it. I am taking a YouTube break. There it goes. The world has not collapsed yet. It's still here. Cool. Let's keep going. So, yes, I am taking a YouTube break and in this video I want to tell you a little bit about why I am taking a break, how long it's gonna be for, and just give you a little bit of context. Over the last few months I've been working on a whole bunch of different things.
I've been working on my first book, which is an adventure memoir, so I've been writing that. I've also been working on season two of my Nat Geo show, Super Skilled, and I've also been trying to make films for my own YouTube channel, for my own Instagram, you know, kind of keeping the ball rolling, and it's been a little bit tough, honestly. Two years ago, I went through pretty bad burnout. I had been, you know, working pretty much nonstop, traveling, full-time on the road, filming videos, collaborations, taking photos, living in my truck. And eventually, eventually, eventually, after living so intensely for such a long time,
something had to give and I just broke down. I couldn't pick up the camera for the longest time. Whenever I looked at my camera, I felt sick. I just felt like my work was done, and it was meaningless, and I would never come out of that burnout. I took three or four months off of YouTube and kind of recalibrated certain things in my life, and then I came back, and I felt creatively fulfilled once more, which was amazing. So, of course, burnout isn't something that happens just once.
It can happen multiple times if you're not careful as a creator. So I think I am in the spot right now where I feel it coming back, and I don't wanna end up in that same dark spot because honestly, back then I was making my full-time living as a creator. So to feel like I would never be able to pick up the camera again was a really terrifying thought, a really scary idea, and I never wanna feel that again. And these days I have been waking up feeling not exactly creatively inspired, but feeling quite overwhelmed. Just knowing that I still have to finish my book, that I still have to finish my Nat Geo show, that I should still keep posting right here on YouTube, that's a lot of creative output that I'm kind of expecting
of myself, and I feel like if I don't press pause I might just hit the wall and crash into it and burnout once more. I don't want that to happen. It's very easy to end up in this situation as a creator these days because everything encourages us to just keep on creating output. The platforms and the algorithms only reward you if you're posting a lot, and only if you're posting a specific type of content.
Even the audiences grow used to this level of output where, you know, creators are expected to publish videos every week, several times a month, maybe, sometimes even on a daily basis on certain platforms. And as someone who's been doing this for over seven years full time, I know that's simply not realistic. But here's the thing, I don't want to churn out content. That's not my aspiration at all. I want to create content that feels purposeful and meaningful, which is why I feel like right now I need just need to step back, take a little break, and recalibrate.
I need to finish writing my book. I need to finish filming the Nat Geo show, and then I wanna come back to this YouTube channel and give it the time, the energy, and the heart that it deserves. I don't want to sit here making videos about my everyday life, videos just to fill the schedule, just to fill your time. That's not what I want to do. Whenever I make something, I want it to come with a sense that it matters, that it brings something to your minds and to your hearts. And right now, I just can't do that on all fronts.
I can't keep firing on all fronts. It feels really bad to say that because I know that to have this job, and to even be in this position, is such an incredible privilege, and I feel so grateful. I know that I am just so privileged to be able to even sit here and talk to you guys in this way, but I also feel terribly guilty for having to take a break. But I also know that it's going to pay off in the long term. So here's my promise to you. When I come back to YouTube in a few months, I don't know exactly how long it'll be, but it'll definitely be a few months.
I will come back refreshed with films that actually matter, with films that make a difference. And they may not matter to everyone, and that's fine, but I really hope that they matter to some of you. I already know what I'll be doing this summer, and it's so exciting. It's one of the coolest things I've ever done in my entire life. And so once I come back to YouTube I will share with you everything that's happened and all the incredible things that I'm building right now. Hey, Vilk, are you excited too? I think he's pretty psyched about it all.
You know, the idea of taking a break is honestly quite terrifying because, of course, you know, as someone who does this for a living, I'm like, what if people forget about me? What if when I come back there will be nobody here? You have all these thoughts as a creator, because genuinely it is a concern. But at the same time, I just know that I need to stay true to myself, and I need to listen to my mind and my body, and I know that this is gonna be, ultimately, a good idea. It's just so easy to fall into the trap of wanting to create and create for the sake of creating. But if you're creating for the sake of creating,
you're not creating for the sake of meaning and purpose. And I feel like that's what our world needs right now, meaning and purpose. So, yeah. So that's it from me. You can still follow me on Instagram. I'll definitely be keeping my Instagram page more active throughout the summer, so you can see some sneak peeks of some of the things that I've been doing. Of course, I am hoping to finish my book in the next month or two. It'll still take a little while to publish. Hopefully it'll get published at some point next spring or summer. I'll definitely keep you updated on that. And yeah, I just hope that you guys manage to get out there this summer
and enjoy nature, go hiking, running, camping, or just sit there in the sun, breathing in the fresh air. I know that I'll be trying to do as much of that as possible as well. Thank you so much for being here, and I hope to see you in a few months. (blubbering) I can't look. (ethereal music)
