Copy Your Favorite Creator

Hello hello!

Happy Wednesday peeps, I’m feeling a bout of writer’s block on this first section, so instead of yapping away as usual, I’m going to give you a lil’ Halloween gift to get you in the spirit.

As YouTube is, and always has been my favorite and main form of entertainment, I’ve found myself diving into a lot of niches. One of these niches is the horror or spooky genre, and honestly, as a fan of spooky movies, some of the best I’ve ever seen come from content creators.

Outside of your prime examples like A24 picking up YouTuber’s content like RackaRacka’s hit film, Talk to Me, (if you haven’t seen this movie, GO WATCH IT! It’s the best scary movie I’ve ever seen, full stop), or creators like Sam and Colby selling out over 350 theaters for their newest movie release, Hollywood doesn’t grasp the YouTuber horror genre as they should be.

So, to celebrate spooky season and to get you in the mood, I’m dropping two of my favorite scary short films from the twisted minds of YouTubers. Be sure to check ‘em out if you need a little suspense in your life this week.

Milk and Serial by That’s A Bad Idea - this hour-long nail-biter is a “found footage” documentary about two friends who run a prank channel. The pranks get a little out of hand, and the end will leave you speechless. This one will leave you on the edge of your seat throughout the film, so if you have an hour to spare, definitely make this one a priority.

The Oldest View by Kane Pixels - Kane Pixels is the godfather of backrooms content. Marrying trippy editing and animation on low res cameras turns the norm into anything but as our main character in this film descends hundreds of feet into the earth, unveiling an entirely new but abandoned world beneath the surface. There isn’t much talking in this one, just eerie vibes that will leave you feeling uneasy. If you want to dive into alternate realities and in between spaces, Kane Pixels is your guy, and The Oldest View is the perfect starting point.

I’ll leave you readers with those two options, so pick your poison and let me know which you liked more. I hope this gets everyone in the season.

Copy Your Favorite Creator

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Recently, I’ve found myself giving a ton of advice to first-time creators. Whether that be passion projects beginning or business owners looking to up their reach through content creation, I’ve been sharing tips from my journey in content creation in hopes that it will resonate with my first-time friends.

While having one of these conversations, I realized that one major piece of advice that I give to those starting is to emulate. Emulate those who have inspired you to start your own content journey, emulate those who have found success in your niche, and emulate content styles that you really enjoy.

Now, many might read this and think I’m saying, “Go copy your favorite creator.” Close, but no. When I tell a budding creator to emulate, it’s because kicking off content creation is one of the hardest parts of being in this game.

One of the most common challenges new creators face is figuring out how to translate their ideas into content that resonates. It can be overwhelming to decide what direction to take, what style fits best, or even how to start your first post or video. That’s where emulation comes in.

I like to think of emulation at this stage almost as creative training wheels.

By emulating, you’re not mindlessly copying; instead, you’re studying the structure, tone, and techniques that more experienced creators have mastered. It’s like learning the rules of the game before you can start breaking them. Figure out what works, understand why it works, and then tweak it to match your branding.

Think of emulation as the blueprint that guides you toward developing your own unique style over time. As you create more, you’ll start finding your rhythm and adding your personal flair to your work. Over time, the content that began as inspired by others will evolve into something that’s entirely your own.

But here’s the key that I need to often remind budding creators: don’t get stuck in emulation mode.

The goal isn’t to become a clone of another creator but to instead use their work as a stepping stone as you narrow in on your own content style. As you grow in confidence and skill, you’ll naturally start breaking away from the patterns you’ve followed and create content that’s more authentically you.

So, if you’re just starting out, don’t shy away from emulating the creators you admire. Use their content as a springboard for your own ideas, and remember that every great creator started somewhere—often by learning from those who came before them.

Established creators/readers, did you emulate when you first started? What tips can you share with other budding creatives when it comes to emulation? Drop some tips for our fellow community members and I’ll be sure to share them in next week’s issue!

Hope you enjoyed this week’s post. See you next week! ??