The awesome Millicent Nankivell (https://twitter.com/millienankivell) and I belong to a Digital Media alumni group (#DDMAlimni on Twitter). We met on Twitter and decided to simply make some media for the sake of it and to support the unit hashtag. Making media for others is connecting. When you start making media who knows where the journey of discovery and learning will take you: Usually to a good place.
Chapters and Timestamps:
0:12 Meet the Alumni
2:12 Confidence
2:35 Collaboration
3:27 Authenticity
4:34 The Creative Process
5:20 Imposter Syndrome
7:20 Making Media
10:22 Perfectionism
1:45 Information about Computer Hope.
Transcription – (According to Microsoft Word)
Hello and welcome to the DDM alumni.
Ricky
We have Millicent yeah, an arm Ricky, and we thought we’d get together and create some media.
Ricky
Kind of a little impromptu thing we sort of had a little chat on Twitter who contacted who I can’t even remember.
Ricky
I think you are making more media.
Ricky
Or is that right?
Millicent
I think I contacted you about a tweet you made regarding advertising on TV.
Millicent
Logs and the conversation kind of just went from there.
Ricky
Yeah, we decided to get together and make some media and somewhere along the line I asked what should we make this recording about, and you wrote a focus on collaborative efforts is a good idea.
Ricky
We worry a lot about helping ourselves that we tend to separate ourselves from others, and digital media can become a fiercely competitive domain.
Ricky
Yet often the best way to help ourselves is to actually help work with others.
Ricky
And I thought that was a really great thing and.
Ricky
Dang, I went through your profile ’cause we don’t really know each other that well.
Ricky
We’ve sort of been on a few different breakout rooms and things.
Millicent
Yeah, a couple of things.
Millicent
I mean, we maybe some forms or something.
Millicent
We’ve been together on but I yeah, we’ve never really talked a great deal before so.
Millicent
This is new hello.
Ricky
And I notice on your Twitter stream you had this thing going where you were trying to make more media.
Millicent
Yes, long time to create media, but it’s something that I I really love doing so and I’m eager to learn more and be a part of the community.
Millicent
There are just some down days every now and then, but yeah, I am actively trying to create more media as a part of exploring.
Millicent
Ann
Millicent
I mean, I think learning by doing is both something that we will have a bit of a focus on, and it’s something that really resonates with me and is.
Millicent
I think it’s the best way for me to learn.
Ricky
Yeah, and I I think you’re really developing a profile like from what you’ve been writing are going through your Twitter profile.
Ricky
I was able to see that your you know your creative writer and flip over to your blog and there’s quite a, you know, a lengthy blog article an I’m starting to get a picture of you already.
Ricky
And how’s it all going?
Ricky
It seemed like you were looking for work, but.
Ricky
You’re saying you’re working full time at the moment.
Millicent
Yeah, I’m working full time, but I’m still keeping my options open I am.
Millicent
Confidence is a bit of a issue going for work when I don’t yet have my degree.
Millicent
I’m still going through.
Millicent
As I said, I’m still studying digital media, so I still I have a bit of reluctance there.
Millicent
That’s very much so self imposed though.
Millicent
So yeah, I I am definitely starting to keep my eye out for anything I can pick up the number 2.
Millicent
Start developing my profile it well sorry My Portfolio in other ways and again learn from others because I think industry experience is definitely some of the best experience you can get.
Ricky
Like looking at your profile, that’s what you’re interested in.
Ricky
It really stood out how that that collaboration thing came up a couple of different times and I have it on record you saying, I think it’s a good idea for alumni to work on work together and generate more relevant content.
Millicent
Maybe I mean, I, I do feel that way. I think that collaboration is very important. I think it’s a good way to help building each other up as well. ’cause you can, you can learn things from each other. It also play to people’s different strengths to work together to create something that’s really, really.
Millicent
Better than anything you can create on your own I guess.
Ricky
I find that attitude really refreshing, like we haven’t put a lot of effort into this, you would say.
Millicent
You can probably tell.
Sure.
Millicent
But that’s OK because this is, you know, this is a little learning process of doing this as well, and you know we could get better about how they’re collaborating.
Millicent
We’re talking about collaboration, but what do you want me to talk about?
Ricky
This is authenticity.
Millicent
Well, authenticity is really real.
Ricky
Yeah.
Millicent
It’s a really important thing I’m we’re going to meet at the moment. I’m reading a book that I read a review for and people were saying that, you know, it wasn’t really well written and, well, I can sort of see what they’re saying about it. I’m reading this voice, and so this this book, and I’m reading it in this person’s voice because it is written in their voice. So while the writing may not be great.
Millicent
Right, and at that?
Millicent
That voice that comes across in the book, but delivers it with some sort of authenticity.
Millicent
Then it.
Millicent
And I think personally, for me that improves improve the experience.
Millicent
I think authenticity is very important thing and it’s actually really challenging to convey in a written format when you’re talking like a book or a blog.
Millicent
It takes a lot of work, work and effort to be able to deliver that properly.
Ricky
Yeah, I’m not a writer.
Ricky
Then tell us about your writing it like what?
Ricky
How would you describe your writing style and and your development as a creative artist?
Millicent
Messy.
Millicent
I love writing food, primarily young adults.
Millicent
That’s my target audience I guess, and I like writing space fantasy, so it’s it’s all entirely relevant to our.
Millicent
The real world, but it’s a good first.
Millicent
Skype is a man.
Millicent
I really, I just I enjoy experimenting with that as well.
Millicent
I haven’t taken the word I’m after when I asked about my own writing.
Millicent
A little bit flustered.
Ricky
So I’m just no.
Millicent
Yeah yeah, I I just that lack of confidence I’m not.
Millicent
Yeah I was talking about someone else the other night regards to even my media making work.
Millicent
I’ve never, I guess.
Millicent
Is sure enough of myself?
Millicent
I think that’s like impostor syndrome, I guess.
Ricky
Right?
Millicent
And I think that’s a big thing when writing or.
Millicent
You know, following something you’re passionate about, or making media.
Millicent
Or I think it’s.
Millicent
Impostor syndrome is something, really.
Millicent
I guess it affects a lot of us.
Millicent
It certainly affects me, and so when I’m asked about my writing, I’m like why do people want to know about my writing?
Ricky
It’s often really refreshing to hear like just to hear that sort of the voice of you know the every writer you know, like ’cause I don’t know.
Ricky
I I’m not a writer.
Ricky
I haven’t heard a lot about writing or what it’s like as a writer then I like love to hear stories in it.
Millicent
There’s a lot of staring at blank pages.
Millicent
I won’t lie.
Millicent
It’s definitely a lot of staring at blank pages.
Ricky
And what do you do, yeah?
Millicent
A lot of it.
Millicent
Sorry.
Ricky
But how do you break that?
Ricky
Like, is that fine?
Ricky
Do you sort of embrace the emptiness of that staring?
Ricky
Or do you sort of go for a walk and you know?
Millicent
Yeah, it’s one of those things that I think is different for everyone to come.
Ricky
Express.
Millicent
I I do find different things work depending my mood depending what’s blocking me.
Millicent
Sometimes I have to just sit there and just.
Millicent
Belt out words in a separate document and just just.
Millicent
Got it and just can’t get words flowing again and sometimes I just have to keep pressing on, even if it’s terrible.
Millicent
It’s I’ll just mark it with big common to come back to this later and fix this mess up but just move on with the story other times.
Millicent
Yep, it’s going for a walk, even if it’s just to get up and make myself a Cup of tea or actually going outside for a walk.
Millicent
Getting some fresh air, getting out in nature.
Millicent
Taking photos, that’s another thing that I personally find helps making playlists.
Millicent
’cause I love music and so sometimes I just need something new to listen to while I work.
Millicent
Thanks.
Millicent
An old one that I spent a lot of time procrastinating, looking at memes on the Internet.
Ricky
Yeah, and now you’re moving from.
Ricky
I mean consumer.
Ricky
Maybe to have some sort of producer making more media?
Ricky
And are you going to use media to boost your?
Ricky
Is it something that writers need to do is to boost their profiles these days?
Ricky
Please.
Millicent
Yes, it is.
Millicent
Even if there’s there’s all this debate, I suppose within the writing community of what’s best to self publish or go with a traditional publisher.
Millicent
But these days, even if you go with traditional publishers and authors, still needs to build their online profile and do that a lot of their own.
Millicent
Marketing marketing is a skill that authors are having to learn because.
Millicent
Publishing houses to stop doing it anymore or doing it at a really limited capacity, so it sort of doesn’t matter whether you.
Millicent
Traditionally published self published it Marketing is a skill that you need.
Ricky
I guess that goes all the way up from yeah.
Millicent
It takes time.
Millicent
So yeah, this is yeah when I started studying digital media, I wasn’t too sure about how I was going to buy that and what kind of work there was available in that field.
Millicent
But I sort of decided it was something I needed to investigate.
Millicent
I’m really glad I did because I absolutely loved it and I’ve always been on social media.
Millicent
It’s always been a passion of mine, but.
Millicent
It’s kind of helps develop that and reignites things ’cause I’ve done.
Millicent
I started to struggle for a little while there and it’s just sort of help.
Millicent
I guess put ball underneath me to get me moving in that field.
Millicent
Again, but it was also really important to me that I learned how to do things again in terms of being able to work towards developing an online author profile because it is so important these days.
Millicent
An writing is something that I really want to pursue, I guess.
Ricky
Then should we send a challenge out there to other people?
Ricky
In the DDM alumni to make some media or to create a similar sort of interview to what we’ve done here?
Ricky
Or something like that?
Millicent
I absolutely think people should be coming forward and sharing their experiences because I I do, we can all learn from each other and.
Millicent
I mean, it’s all a learning experience.
Ricky
No, it’s I like this.
Millicent
Thank you, I actually made that years ago.
Ricky
But you.
Ricky
But
Ricky
Yep, that looks cool.
Ricky
It looks like it’s coming through the background.
Millicent
I think you know people should be.
Millicent
Just getting out there and having a go.
Millicent
I have no idea what I’m doing right now, but I thought that it was really important that I do this.
Millicent
Just, you know, something to.
Millicent
Not to take off a box, but to explore because this is how we again, this is how we learn.
Millicent
I think it’s really important that we engage with others.
Millicent
And that was the other thing too.
Millicent
Actually, when we first started this conversation, it was because I mentioned that I’d found that post of yours using the Dedeian alumni hashtag an I wish more people would use that.
Millicent
Actually, ’cause it’s really a great potential personals there.
Millicent
If we’re all you know, willing to help each other out.
Millicent
Share things that are useful to it.
Millicent
Uhm?
Millicent
Eyebrows are.
Ricky
You know 10% a great job keeping it up to date and all the tutors post all sorts of interesting stuff to it. I like that interaction. I like this opportunity that we have.
Millicent
It’s good, it shows your enthusiasm.
Ricky
It’s great to hear from someone else who sees the opportunity to get out there, to network, to create media like this.
Ricky
And yeah, and not get too hung up about.
Ricky
You know, putting yourself out there.
Ricky
It’s like taking a selfie, but a big long extended recorded one.
Millicent
That’s true.
Millicent
I wonder how much of it too is people get this thing about factionism.
Millicent
I know I can be a perfectionist and this is certainly something that challenge that is just just putting things out there.
Millicent
It’s it’s really challenging, but.
Millicent
Oh no, I think that’s a really important thing to do because you never really going to find that perfect something.
Millicent
Well, I had said that some people do, but there’s always going to be.
Millicent
You’re always gonna say your own shortcomings, I guess.
Millicent
Just get out there and make some media and share it.
Ricky
Yeah.
Millicent
If you don’t share it, you can’t get the constructive criticism unity.
Ricky
Yeah, and even the awkwardness of doing stuff like this for you know the first few times it’s you learn such a lot from that and you make it better the next time.
Ricky
And like you put a few posts out there, we engaged.
Ricky
We ended up making this.
Ricky
I’ve subsequently gone and put.
Ricky
We chatted about Google ads or something because you and I have I put Google ads on my blog.
Ricky
Today then.
Millicent
So that way I hope that goes well for you.
Ricky
Yeah I could.
Ricky
Thank you, I might not make it for awhile, but it’s like it’s that snowball effect, you know.
Ricky
Like 1 little thing here leads to that.
Ricky
To that you’re more likely to stay engaged to have a good profile, know what you’re doing, what you’re about.
Ricky
If you’re making media and then when it comes time that you need to make that important video or that important interview, we’ve had some practice.
Millicent
Well, exactly.
Millicent
And people know who you are then too.
Millicent
’cause you know, I guess you said you cannot put yourself out there.
Millicent
People don’t know who you are.
Millicent
You could miss so many opportunities from that.
Ricky
Yeah true, hey yeah, it’s like difference between totally invisible and having opportunities to meet people.
Ricky
Connect with.
Ricky
People and have rewarding experiences. I don’t expect this video is going to get 100,000 shares on YouTube or anything. Or put it up in there.
Millicent
Hello, I’m glad to hear that.
Ricky
I’ll try and make a good look, you know.
Ricky
A little bit professional.
Ricky
Then you can share it on your profile, maybe I’m not sure, but it shows you been.
Millicent
Will say I I think I probably too much.
Ricky
You can have it in the background there and then like people can see that you’ve been doing something with some University group.
Ricky
Friends, University crew.
Millicent
Well, see, this is the thing.
Millicent
I don’t think we’ve ever actually had like, we’ve never had a class together halfway.
Ricky
Now we haven’t, but we have like sort of seen each other and we’ve been in breakout rooms together.
Ricky
Then I kind of know.
Millicent
Yeah, you’re like CDN alumni.
Millicent
Did you go to college careers?
Ricky
Yep, Yep, and I and I think we were in a breakout group there.
Millicent
Yeah.
Ricky
Your digital media.
Millicent
Ah yeah, I’m doing a double in digital media and creative running.
Ricky
I think my little girl has to go to sleep soon.
Millicent
Here we go.
Ricky
Then it’s been great chatting with you like I’m sure, like hopefully we’ll chat more online and yeah, and I’ll keep up to date with challenge to the alumni.
Millicent
I’m good.
Ricky
Who are you going to interview this week or before you go?
Ricky
You know, goes back.
Millicent
Yeah, more you need to put yourself low it to Ricky.
Millicent
Have a chat.
Ricky
And milleson.
Millicent
I suppose I can have a chat.
Millicent
With some of you.
Ricky
Excellent.
Ricky
Oh, anyone like choose someone, pick someone out and and get on a call and have impromptu chat.
Ricky
There’s a lot of expertise.
Ricky
Share something you know.
Ricky
Thanks for coming along today.
Millicent
Thanks for having me.
Millicent
So having me.
Millicent
Ricky
I haven’t sent you a permission form.
Ricky
Maybe I should ask you, that’s alright to put this up.
Ricky
On the DDM Alumni video site.
Millicent
Sorry, but you have my cell phone consent.
Ricky
There you go, taken care of.
Ricky
The paper world have a great week.
Millicent
You too.
Ricky
Thank you, teria.
