What an incredible feeling it was when one of my first subscribers, Gaye Fanner, let me know I had passed the 1000 subscriber milestone on 14 Janaury (This date also coincides with my late-mother’s birthday). I never realised just how important that was to me…until it happened.
When I uploaded my first video on 28 February I never considered that I might actually get people to watch my content. I would be lying if I tried to tell you that wasn’t my hope, but reality suggested a completely different outcome. I am definitely a glass ‘half full’ sort of guy! But…here I am, just 11 months later and the hope has been achieved. So thank you so much to everybody who has made this possible.
Many of you may be aware that numerous unexpected events between 2014 – 2020 forced a radical change in my life. I went from having a solid career to becoming a full time carer. During that 5-year period I looked after my mother, helping her battle throat cancer. Then I needed to care for my father whom I recognised had alzheimers. Finally, in late 2018, my wife Zita was diagnosed with Bile Duct cancer. She died one year later, a month before the lockdowns commenced.
We all have different experiences of that period and I will not pretend that my situation was any different than yours. However, I did have to face the reality of starting a new life, especially with personal circumstances making it impossible to return to my old career. Faced with this, I retreated into my bonsai and just hid from the world. We’ve all done it…
But, two years later, with the world opening up I found a new enthusiasm for an old vocation of mine. My senior school years were spent exploring my writing and acting talents. It had been Zita, during her last few months, that suggested I should refocus my efforts in this field and link it with bonsai.
So, with the support of my children and the words of my late-wife still ringing loudly in my ears, I took the plunge and started my YouTube channel. It changed my life and revived my desire for acting and writing. I love the production aspects as well as the creative opportunities and I am blessed that I can do all this centred around my love of bonsai.
So what did it take for me to reach 1000 subscribers?
I worked full time: 9am – 6pm, 6 days a week. Even before YouTube, bonsai had required a full time commitment from me because of the number of trees I had. Now, I had to continue to work the trees but also combine it with film production. I thrived on the hardwork and hopefully my enthusiasm shows in the finished product.
I have had to learn about camera’s, lighting and sound. I have had to spend endless hours staring at my computer screen perfecting the art of editing using AVS Video Editor. In the end, I have had to learn an entire new speciality / career. Not something I ever envisaged having to do back in early 2000.
So what next?
It’s simple – more hardwork and more brainstorming for video ideas. I hope to triple my subscriber count by the end of this year and enter into many more collaborations along the way. I am fortunate that I have a degree of financial security but I hope to realise enough additonal income through bonsai that my kids neeed not worry for me in the future.
This is like a dream come true and my only regret is that my wife, Zita, cannot share it with me. This is what she always wanted for me. As for me, the most rewarding aspect of this has been the community engagement and the number of new friends I have made. Subscribers and fellow creators have given me a new future…
God Bless & Happy bonsaiing,
Xav
1000 people have been blessed by Zita’s actions when she encouraged you to blend acting with bonsai. Every one of your 138 videos is a gift that she and you have given the world together. Thank you Zita <3
Thank you so much for those incredible words. I know that Zita is part of my life in ways that perhaps I do not understand yet but reading your thoughts fills me with courage. Thank you.