If you stop reading, you stop having ideas

Struggling with Ideas

Having ideas is a lot harder than it looks. Earlier today, while I was walking to mass, I tried to think of the topic for the video I needed to record, and I couldn’t come up with anything. I’ve been recording videos daily for the past 16 days, and I’ve already noticed a pattern emerging.

Planning Improves Performance

When I take a moment to think about the idea I’ll share and even write a few bullet points, the video tends to get a little more views. I recorded an audio note while walking, organized the video into topics so I wouldn’t forget anything, and that extra effort usually makes a difference. I’m a small YouTuber, just starting out, so I don’t get many views, but I can see that a bit of preparation helps.

An Easy Video

One video that went differently was the one where I showed how to post to Instagram from Cloud Code using an API connection, and also how to post Instagram stories from Cloud Code. I didn’t write any topics or organize it beforehand; I just started recording and showed what I had done that day. Talking about something I already do daily is easier because the process is already in place. It’s a lot harder to bring an idea from inside my mind to the world.

Hype and Relevance

The Cloud Code and Instagram API videos got a little more views, probably because AI and Cloud Code are hot topics right now. They’re part of my daily routine, so it was easier to talk about them, and the current hype around AI likely gave them extra attention.

Feedback Matters

Even though I only get a dozen or so views per video, the comments, likes, and messages saying they liked the video really help. It makes me think, “This is good,” not because the quality is high, but because the daily‑recording challenge is teaching me. I feel I’m improving a little with each video.

Reading and Writing Gap

Lately it’s getting harder to think of topics, and I traced the root cause to the past week or so when I haven’t been reading enough or writing every day. In the 100‑day challenge I set for myself, the most important part is recording daily, but the original challenge also includes writing three pages each morning and reading every day. I’ve been reading 30 pages a day for a long time, but writing three pages is much harder for me.

Why Reading Helps

When I read, my mind generates the most ideas. For example, while reading Chesterton, I get ideas about his points and also about other areas because my mind doesn’t stay on a single theme. A reference in the book triggers another thought, and the ideas start to connect. I always carry a handbook to jot down anything that comes to mind during reading, because that’s when the ideas flow.

Writing Gives Structure

Writing forces me to give structure to my thoughts. As I write, I deepen my understanding of what I’m thinking. Not doing these two activities daily makes it harder to generate video ideas.

Commitment to Restart

To recap, I’ve noticed that a little planning before recording improves performance, except for the Cloud Code videos that were easy because they were part of my routine. I’m now running out of ideas because I stopped feeding the system by not reading and not writing every day. My commitment, spoken out loud on camera, is to return to writing three pages each morning in my notebook and to read 30 pages daily. I’ll read not only from physical books like Chesterton, but also from a website I built that contains about 200 articles and emails I want to write.

Quality Input

One final thought: quality output demands quality input. That’s it for today.