Loïc At 40. Invites You On His Journey.

I am curious…

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Day 23

Plus, research into new, potentially open-source editing software like Blender, progress on the print-on-demand shop (designs are up, sample order pending), plans for a dinner party tonight, and the strategy for contacting Meta about the ongoing Facebook account issue. Export Success, Software Hunts & Shop Prep Good morning! Day 23 has been bustling, largely dedicated to finally wrangling the latest Drag Race report video into submission. The Great Export Saga - Victory (Sort Of!) You might remember the struggles with exporting the 4K footage – my poor, aging computer and iMovie just weren't cooperating. I actually deleted the initial video I uploaded because it only rendered in SD quality, and I was determined to get something better. After many attempts, taking breaks to let the computer cool down, I managed to export a raw, uncoloured file. The breakthrough came when I imported this raw file into the Mac Photos app. While iMovie lagged terribly trying to apply colour correction, the Photos app handled the tweaks (like vibrancy) smoothly. And interestingly, Photos offered a 4K export option! While the final exported file still turned out to be HD, not true 4K, it's a definite improvement on the original SD version. So, the report video is now officially published, complete with a thumbnail I'm happy with! Searching for New Tools This whole export drama has spurred me to research alternative video editing software. I looked into some open-source options, similar to OBS which I use for streaming. One name that kept popping up across different lists was Blender, known for 3D and animation but apparently capable in video editing too. I've saved some links to investigate further tomorrow. Shop Progress & Social Plans In other news, I've made progress on the print-on-demand shop. Using Printify, the designs are uploaded, and the products are technically set up and linked to my (currently dormant) Etsy store. However, I've hidden everything for now because the crucial next step is ordering samples to check the print quality myself. I plan to order those tomorrow. Tonight, I'm looking forward to a dinner party hosted by a couple I haven't seen in ages. It's always nice meeting new people at these gatherings. I'll need to make sure the dog is sorted before I head out, as I expect to be back late. Other Bits & Pieces The Facebook account issue is still on my mind. I've drafted a letter to Meta detailing the hack and plan to post it publicly on their X (Twitter) account, along with screenshots, as other contact methods seem impossible. I also need to be more meticulous when copying/pasting video descriptions across platforms to avoid errors like wrong episode numbers. Despite waking up late (10 am!) and feeling sluggish due to the gloomy weather, getting the video published feels like a good accomplishment. Time to get ready for dinner! Talk tomorrow. L Get full access to TheLiciouslyMe at www.theliciously.me/subscribe [https://www.theliciously.me/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Day 22

Hear about a deep and meaningful conversation with a friend about societal norms, self-comparison, judgment, and the journey to self-acceptance through mindfulness. lus, celebrate hitting the 100 subscriber milestone on the "Loic and the KwingZ" YouTube channel and the surprising instant views on the thank-you video. Edits Done, "The Norm" Debunked & 100 Subscribers! Hello! It's been a productive, albeit long, day. I spent the morning and early afternoon finishing the editing for the Drag Race Episode 14 report video. It's a relief to have that main part done! However, the technical fun wasn't over. I immediately jumped into creating the thumbnail and wrestling with exporting the video. My editing software is still stubbornly refusing to export my 4K recordings in actual 4K quality, offering lower resolutions instead, which is incredibly frustrating. I spent some time exporting different versions and trying to tweak the quality in the Photos app, but it's not ideal. Meeting a Friend & Meaningful Conversations I had to pause the thumbnail work to meet a friend late afternoon. He was going through a tough time, feeling anxious and getting caught up comparing himself to "the norm". This led to a really deep conversation about rejecting societal pressures and expectations. I shared my view that there shouldn't be rigid rules about what belongs to boys or girls, or how people "should" behave. We talked about how harmful comparing yourself to others and being judgmental (both of yourself and others) can be, using an example of him judging a bartender's goth style. I opened up about my own past struggles with depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and insecurity, emphasizing how meditation was key for me to understand my triggers, stop being angry, and let go of judgment. We also discussed taking responsibility for our actions rather than blaming external factors like alcohol, and the importance of focusing on things we can actually change instead of worrying pointlessly about things we can't. It was a heavy but important chat, and I really hope it helped him. YouTube Milestone! On a much lighter note, huge news for the "Loic and the KwingZ" YouTube channel! Yesterday I was at 94 subscribers, woke up this morning to 100, and now I'm at 102! The viewership in the last 48 hours also jumped significantly, hitting 11,000 this morning and reaching 14,000-15,000 by the evening, likely thanks to the Shorts I've been posting. To celebrate the 100-subscriber milestone, I quickly recorded and posted a thank-you Short. The response was wild – literally seconds after hitting publish, it already had 196 views! Later check showed 321 views. While the initial view count was amazing, I noticed the average percentage viewed was a bit lower than usual, so I need to keep an eye on retention. Still, watching the real-time analytics is fascinating, and overall, the channel trends are all positive! Other Bits I also spent a bit more time thinking about the print-on-demand store, working on designs. The technology seems simpler now, so hopefully, I can get that launched soon. Okay, after getting home from drinks and editing yesterday's podcast audio, I'm truly ready for bed. What a night! Chat tomorrow. L Get full access to TheLiciouslyMe at www.theliciously.me/subscribe [https://www.theliciously.me/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Day 21

Plus, updates on the ongoing computer performance struggles, hitting 94 YouTube subscribers on "Loïc and the KwingZ [https://youtube.com/@loic.and.the.kwingz?si=3muiAJYN1LCHxbP1]", and more thoughts on how useful AI tools are for content creators. Editing Marathons, Tech Woes & AI Appreciation Good morning, and welcome to Day 21! I started today's recording during my morning dog walk, enjoying the beautiful sunny weather, although it's still chilly enough for a jacket. The longer daylight hours from the recent clock change are definitely welcome – I completely forgot it happened until I started thinking about the light! Podcast Schedule Update Clarification First off, a quick correction. I know I said the podcast format would change from Day 21, but I got my dates mixed up. The plan to switch to weekly summary episodes released publicly on Fridays (with daily recordings potentially becoming subscriber content) will now officially begin next Monday. I'll need to update the thumbnails accordingly. Apologies for the confusion! The Editing Grind Most of yesterday and today have been consumed by editing the Drag Race Episode 14 report video. I recorded my commentary yesterday using the new webcam, and I'm really pleased with the quality and the freedom it gives me compared to using my phone. The editing process itself is meticulous. I work section by section (workroom, maxi challenge, runway, etc.), editing my commentary first and then carefully syncing it with the corresponding clips from the show that I prepared beforehand. It's time-consuming – I spent about four hours yesterday evening editing just five minutes of the final video! I've finished the job interview section and need to move on to the runway. After that, I still need to tackle the thumbnails, which, despite having the photos edited and ready, always takes longer than expected in Canva. Tech Troubles Persist My poor old Mac (a 2016 model) is definitely showing its age and struggling with the demands of video editing. The fan noise is intense, and I had to stop editing the runway section last night because the computer seemed overwhelmed. There are also compatibility issues between the old operating system and newer apps, like iMovie on my phone and computer no longer talking to each other, and problems with iCloud syncing. It all just slows the process down. YouTube & AI Wins On the YouTube front for "Loïc and the KwingZ [https://youtube.com/@loic.and.the.kwingz?si=3muiAJYN1LCHxbP1]," subscriber numbers continue to climb – we're at 94 now! The overall views in the last 48 hours are hovering around 5,600, constantly fluctuating, which is fascinating to watch in the real-time analytics. I've been experimenting slightly with video titles to see if it impacts performance. I also have to give another shout-out to AI tools. They are incredibly helpful for quickly scanning my past transcripts to check if I mentioned something specific, saving me hours of re-listening or manual searching. I even asked Gemini to help draft a structure for my company based on my ramblings! When used appropriately, AI can be a massive help for workflow. Right, I'm feeling pretty drained and my brain needs sleep. Time to sign off for Day 21. I'll be back tomorrow! Get full access to TheLiciouslyMe at www.theliciously.me/subscribe [https://www.theliciously.me/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Day 20

Sunshine, Strategy, and Report Prep Good morning and welcome to Day 20! I'm bringing you this update while out walking the dog on a gorgeous, sunny Monday morning. Yesterday was a pretty good day, and I'm feeling positive heading into the week. YouTube & Workflow Check-in Quick YouTube update: the main Drag Race reaction video went live last night and has already picked up about 10 views. We're holding steady at 90 subscribers on my "Loïc and the KwingZ" Youtube channel, which is encouraging considering there's been zero promotion so far! I'm confident that once I start putting some more promotion behind it, the channel will grow even faster. My main focus today, and likely into the evening, is preparing for my “Reports” video of Episode 14. This is quite a process, and I want to do it properly. Here's the plan for today: * Clip Preparation: Last night, I went through the full episode recording and started to cut out the specific segments I need – the maxi challenge, the runway, etc. This avoids having the huge, full-episode file lagging in the editing software. For tomorrow: * Voice and Video Recording: This will be recorded with the new 4K webcam. * Editing & Syncing: After, I will then edit my “Ruports” video and sync it with clips I prepared today * Polishing: Finally, I'll add the intro, music, any necessary visuals or effects to make it look polished and professional. It's a time-consuming task, but I enjoy the process and want to deliver something good. Evening Wrap-up Just popping back in quickly before bed. I had my shower and spent some time doing that video clip preparation I mentioned earlier. Having just the essential clips loaded into the editor rather than the whole hour-plus episode file should make tomorrow's voice/video recordings and editing session much smoother. Feeling ready and looking forward to getting that recording done! Right, that's it for Day 20. Time to rest up. Chat tomorrow! L Get full access to TheLiciouslyMe at www.theliciously.me/subscribe [https://www.theliciously.me/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]