Summer's End

My summer is quickly coming to a close, and looking back I realize that I really haven’t accomplished everything I wanted to, but I don’t feel too terrible about it. On my list of accomplishments is learning how to drive a standard car, which is sort of a miracle for me. Okay, so I’m still not great at it, but I can get from one place to another without annoying other drivers (as long as I don’t stop on a hill, that is). I’ve also managed to procure a job for the fall semester, which is terribly important considering my study abroad plans in the spring. Other than that, I can’t say that I did too much other than read, write a little, and watch a lot of tv and a bunch of movies. I certainly didn’t write as much as a)I wanted to or b) I should have considering I want to be a writer for a living and if I don’t practice I won’t get better or even really develop a style that isn’t rambly where I make up words because I like the way they sound…
Anyway, what I did this summer instead of developing skills to advance my career aspirations or working to earn money is watch a lot of YouTube videos. I know that this sounds kind of lame. I mean, what kind of self-respecting girl watches YouTube all summer? Well, this one did, and it was enlightening. This is because I didn’t spend my time watching viral videos of kittens in baskets or something of the like, but instead watching vlogs and original music. It really gave me hope for the future of the arts. I mean, here is this venue on which thousands of aspiring artists are recording music or creating short films, or collaboratively making up a person who can become “real” via the internet (just google Paige Railstone).
Honestly, YouTube is waving and shouting “Look here! The arts aren’t dead!!” They’re simply morphing with new technologies and media of expression. Sure for every John and Hank Green there are a million cat videos, but hey—that’s true of any medium. So, in short, keep an eye on the YouTube community, it’s going places fast!