UTILIZING YOUTUBE TO MASTER CREATIVITY

I worked in an industry surrounded by custom clothing with no knowledge of how to create it. I quickly went from a skilless observer to knitting custom clothing for Emma Chamberlain at Coachella and altering pants for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson on the red carpet at the Grammys; exclusively through youtube videos. Here is how I did it.

There are a million videos on youtube and while everyone has something new to say, there is more time to waste than knowledge to gain. I believe you can learn anything on Youtube. Don't ask a friend, go to Youtube. But in the same vein, don't waste your time. Here are my tips for how to learn to create, on Youtube.

How to watch Youtube

Learn the basics before you get into the details. This may seem obvious but I unknowingly made this mistake. I tried to alter clothes before I learned how they were constructed. While this worked on simple procedures like a pant hem, I tried to watch videos for 30-45 seconds at a time and immediately seam rip right into the crotch of Dolce and Gabbana pants. I didn't know how they were made, but in my mind that didn't matter because I wasn't making them, I was just making a small adjustment. You have to understand the basics before you attack the details.

The same goes for a creation from scratch like knitting or crochet. Don't hop into creating a design without learning, and more importantly practicing, each stitch. Watching individual videos that teach the stitches in their most basic form, creating patch tests, and comparing them side by side will not only guarantee you a better chance at creating a design that looks like the product in the videos, but it will also help you customize.

Don't spend too much time on videos that are too long. It is important to gain a sufficient knowledge of your craft before you begin working, but at the same time, people like to hear themselves talk (myself included). When choosing your video remember that practicing the skill takes significantly longer than watching the associated video. Don't waste time watching someone talk about the blanket they knitted for their grandmother detailing all of her adoring comments thinking if you get to the end you will master the craft.

PLEASE watch more than one video if the margin of error is low. You have heard the warning signs before: Don't trust everything you see on the internet. If you only have a certain amount of material, or one chance to get it right and maintain a profit margin, do not rely on one stranger to succeed. I have done countless projects, completed endless sewing patterns, and knitted all of the stitches in the book, but minute changes in your project can give way to methods with deceptively large differences. Without a doubt you will waste more money than you will make if you trust one video. Do your research and if you can't afford to practice, at least be educated.