Hi, my name is Eddie Towers! For the past two years I have actively pursued a career as a content creator. At first it started as a hobby. Randomly livestreaming on twitch.tv as a way to pass time while socializing with people from around the world who also felt passionate about video games. But I never entertained the thought that I could pursue a career as a content creator until the world was hit by the pandemic. If you haven’t been living under rock for the past two years, then you are well aware that the world was struck with an unexpected virus that forced the world to shut down temporarily as we tried to figure out what was going on. But that is neither here nor there. It did however, allow me to step back from the rat race of life, and gave me an opportunity to see another avenue as a career. A content creator. But before I tell you more about the process of content creating. Allow me the opportunity to take you back to where it all began. 

“From a young age I had a desire to create. Creating can be done through many arts. But it comes from the same place.”  

Before it was even a term in the dictionary. I was a content creator. When I was younger, my friends, and I took a tape recorder everywhere with us, as we filmed ourselves skating, writing skits, and pranking each other; all for the sole purpose of making films to entertain our friends, and classmates. This was in the early 2000’s, when the internet was in its infancy stage, and the world seemed much smaller. So, we had to get creative about promoting our content. Back then, we had one disc player on a home computer, and Pinnacle Studios for editing. Once the editing was complete, my friends and I took turns sitting on the computer as we burned our homemade skating videos for days. So that we can pass them out at school the next morning, and that was our way of spreading the brand, and marketing. We were sort of a band of misfits that were somewhat popular at our high school. Think Jackass before it was a thing. During those years, I learned a lot about film production, practical effects, social skills, and writing skits. I always found it interesting that while most kids my age were doing homework, playing sports, or going to high school events. I was learning the art of content creating. I just didn’t know it yet. Side note, I also understood the importance of music in films, and how it can enhance the story telling. Something I understood at an early age from watching hours of skating videos.  

So, that fascination for music got my friends and I interested in creating music. It was not long after film making, that my friends and I agreed to buy instruments and start a band. I was supposed to be the drummer, but due to my families lack of financial income, I had to settle for an off-brand Bass Guitar. But it worked for us, and I made due with what I got. We had no skills or understanding of writing music. But that didn’t stop us from trying. In fact, I’m sure our first set of songs were probably out of tune, and if I heard them today. I would be burying my head in the sand from embarrassment. But we practiced every day after high school, and all night on the weekends. We were determined to learn how to write music, and thanks to a little bit of guidance, and determination. We eventually got good, and started packing venues such as the Whiskey A-Go-Go, Knitting Factory, Chain Reaction, amongst other locations. But we knew if we were ever going to grow, we needed to expand. During this time, the internet exploded over night with a little social media site called Myspace. So, we created a band account, and spread the word. It was my first introduction to social media marketing, but little did I know just how important social media marketing would become as a content creator. But that is for another time.  

So, fast forward a decade, and several bands later. I found myself a bartender at a famous Asian cuisine restaurant. Not unhappy, but not satisfied either. I knew there had to be something more. So, I took the next logical step. I decided to go back to college and attain a formal education in my first passion, music. I have always deterred away from school, as I always felt lost. A feeling I didn’t want to revisit as an adult. But I knew if I ever wanted to grow, I had to commit to changing my circumstances. So, I change the idea that “I can’t” to “I will.” A characteristic trait that I admire from all my idols. I did not however, anticipate that my business in music class would open the world of possibilities as a content creator. You see I learned a lot about music, but I learned more about entrepreneurship, and marketing. It dawned on me one day in class. That content creators are a lot like musicians, artists, entertainers, etc. All my years of experience in video editing, music production, live streaming, and social media marketing has led me to the art of content creator.  

Content creation is an artform (arguably) at its infancy stage, and we are witnessing it bloom into a new age of entertainment in real time, and I only hope to carve myself a corner in this ever-expanding world of online content. As one who over consumes my fair share of daily content, and has two years of experience as a content creator. Please, allow to me say that anyone can do it. It does not require skills or years of experience. You do not need high end tech or equipment, and it does not require a degree from an accredited school. I have met plenty of wonderful content creators that started with nothing, and have grown to such great heights, and it’s just the beginning.  

“All you need is an idea, a phone or computer, and the desire to create content.” 

Two years as a content creator has taught me so much about branding, marketing, planning, and executing content, and most importantly, it has taught so much about myself. All of which I hope to share with all of you through weekly blogs. So, whether you are a veteran looking to refresh your knowledge in video editing, or a first-time content creator looking to build your brand on the right platform. I will leave you with this. Find a content creator you admire, be it a travel vlogger, live streamer, musician, or entertainer in any field. They have already created the blue print for success. Knowing this, you’re already half way there. Now you just need to create that content. I will do my best to show you the steps I take to create my content, and hopefully help you grow your brand. If you made it this far, I want to personally thank you for taking the time out of your day to be here, as I know you could be anywhere else right now, and I appreciate that. This is the journey of a content creator, it will not be easy, and at times you will doubt your decisions. But that is a part of growth, if you remain persistent, and are willing to adjust when needed. I assure you; you will achieve greatness in your own way. I am living proof. 

 

Best regards, 

Eddie Towers