Creator Voices: Lyna
Mar 24, 2022 – minute read
Argentinian creator Evelyn Vallejos, better known to her fans as “Lyna,” has the largest audience in Latin America of all female gamers. Besides playing Roblox, Minecraft, and Among Us, among other titles, she is also a singer-songwriter, and published her third book, titled “An Abnormal Family. And Some Very Strange Vacations,” which was a best seller in Argentina. She recently offered some insights into what has fueled her success on YouTube.
Today, after nearly eight years dedicated exclusively to creating daily content, I wouldn't change the path I first took when I was still a college student for anything.”
When I turned 20, my life seemed to have a set course. As a social communication student, I assumed I would soon get my degree and find work in the traditional media. Or at least that was what I had planned and, being a highly structured person, having a path forward gave me security. But things didn't turn out the way I thought they would.
In September of 2014, I uploaded my first video to YouTube to get used to being in front of a camera. The idea was to gain confidence so I'd be prepared and not embarrassed when I had to do my journalism internship. But without knowing it, that was how I started the journey that completely rearranged my life into its current form. A few months after creating my channel, it was already clear that, although I wanted to put into practice all the tools the degree had given me, my place was outside the traditional media. It was on YouTube.
By the end of 2015, I'd already created several channels where I was uploading different types of content and had begun growing on the platform, all while learning from it and the community I was forming.
Today, after nearly eight years dedicated exclusively to creating daily content, I wouldn't change the path I first took when I was still a college student for anything. But it wasn't always easy, and several times it turned out to be even more difficult than I could have imagined. That's why I want to share with you some of the things I've learned, which will hopefully be useful to you.
Enjoy yourself - and others will enjoy your videos
Sounds like typical motivational advice, right? The truth is that for me, it became a basic pillar of my way of working.
When I started on YouTube, I was guided by video game trends. Anything that became popular automatically appeared on my channel. But there was a part of those games I didn't enjoy because they simply weren't for me. When that happened, I would get stressed out just thinking that I had to record the gameplay. Usually, the situation led to a poor-quality video that the audience could tell I'd made reluctantly.
So as time passed, I focused on giving my community content that I felt comfortable with and found fun. When thinking about what I want to create, I take people's suggestions into account—or the content I already know they like—and assess whether it's something that fits my tastes and can give us all a good time.
Get closer to your community (and surprise them!)
Growing on YouTube is not just about creating content. While consistency is fundamental to making sure the audience keeps finding your channels, you also need to create a close community. That means listening to and learning from them. Knowing your audience makes your job much simpler. It lets you find out what they do and don't like and, as I mentioned earlier, helps you decide which content gives you the best results.
But it's not all about numbers. Creating a close community also gives you a foothold. Thousands of times, I've received comments like, "I had a bad day today and your video made it better." The truth is, the feeling's mutual, at least in my case. My community's comments and affection have been a source of comfort to me in many difficult times.
Always listen to yourself
If anything took a toll on me as a content creator, it was the feeling that no matter how many hours a day I was working, it was never enough. I spent hours and hours forcing myself to make videos even when I didn't feel like it or had no ideas, leaving no days off in my schedule. But also, whenever I decided to take a break, the guilty feeling that I should be creating tormented me. That usually led to burnout and a cycle of feeling anxious if I wasn't working. On the other hand, when I was working, I was so psychologically fatigued that I didn't perform like I wanted to. The result was always that the numbers on my channel fell, which is super frustrating.
Listening to your body is fundamental to your mental health. If it tells you to rest, listen to it. Perspective is difficult when you set yourself an upload schedule and want to stick to it at all costs, but it's the only way of breaking the cycle. After a well-deserved rest, you can return to work with a fresh mind and new ideas that you're excited to record.
Don't think that the process is easy. Overcoming the guilt takes time, but it's worth it and always ends up being more beneficial for your channels and your mental health.
Evelyn Vallejos