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I Don't Know What Work Is

2018-11-09 · letter vlog · Hank · 3:54 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Projects (also: Personal life, Books & writing) · mode: Personal essay · tags: calendar ritual, self promotion, community lore

Starting from reading 45 science fiction novels before his book came out, Hank wonders whether turning everything he loves into work is a good habit or a need to justify joy, thanks John for teaching him (in a 2011 pitch chat) that a good idea must do good, and says he believes in their projects as sustainable engines for good, since work is part of life.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Hank reads about 45 science fiction novels before his book comes out

  • ★★ In the year before his book came out, Hank feared the science fiction community would see him as an unwelcome YouTuber interloper, so he decided to read some 45 science fiction novels and tweet about ones he liked. — 00:00:00 · An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, YouTube
  • ★★ Hank says he does care about that community and loves science fiction, so the reading was a wonderful way to spend time, and part of him was happy it felt productive. — 00:00:23

00:00:29 — Turning things he loves into work: good habit or justifying joy?

  • ★★★ Hank says he turned reading novels into work, just as VidCon made watching YouTube work, SciShow his science obsession, Vlogbrothers his interest in online communities, and Dear Hank and John being dumb with his brother. (hedged) — 00:00:29 · VidCon, SciShow, Vlogbrothers, Dear Hank and John, YouTube
  • ★★★ Hank asks whether turning what he loves into work is a good habit that supports his family and makes great things, or something gross: needing monetization to justify his joy. (unsure) — 00:00:58
  • ★★ Hank says the question is too big for one video, maybe one he wrote a whole book about, and imagines there are elements of both. (hedged) — 00:01:11 · An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

00:01:27 — John's influence and their 2011 chat about pitching YouTube-funded channels

  • ★★★ Hank tells John how important John's perspective has been to how he lives: John's energy added to his, and the focus John gave him, without which he doesn't know what he would be. — 00:01:27 · John Green
  • ★★ Hank recalls that in 2011, when YouTube considered funding higher-budget channels, he and John could pitch ideas; in a recently found chat he had a dozen ideas, from top-10 shows to Pilates, chasing views. — 00:01:47 · YouTube, John Green
  • ★★★ John Green (quoted): In that 2011 chat John wrote that he wanted to do things that change the world and that YouTube will buy into, focusing on ideas YouTube would pay for that would also change the world. — 00:02:10 · YouTube

00:02:26 — A good idea must do good: their projects as sustainable engines for good; work is part of life

  • ★ Hank replied asking whether it had to be a university, which is what they then called Crash Course. (playful) — 00:02:26 · Crash Course

  • ★★★ Hank says he has never had too few ideas, but John helped him realize that a good idea isn't good unless it does good. — 00:02:33 · John Green

    “a good idea isn't good unless it's gonna do good”

  • ★★ Hank says every Pizzamas they commission and pay for art from great designers, and he pays people to write about science and educate people for free. — 00:02:40 · Pizzamas

  • ★★ Hank says he is really excited to try something new with Truth or Fail. — 00:02:50
  • ★★ Hank says he is excited to work with WNYC Studios on podcasts. — 00:02:53
  • ★ Hank shows what the Dear Hank and John website now looks like and says he is very excited about it. — 00:02:56 · Dear Hank and John
  • ★★ Hank says on many evenings he goes home to uncover the absurd and vital lives of fictional people he loves. — 00:03:00
  • ★★★ Hank believes in these projects not because they are good businesses but because they are sustainable engines for doing good, and because they bring him joy. — 00:03:06
  • ★★★ Hank says that if he doesn't know exactly where the line between life and work is, maybe that is because work is part of life. (hedged) — 00:03:13

00:03:24 — The Nerdfighteria Census is live; Pizzamas closing; sign-off

  • ★★★ Hank says the yearly Nerdfighteria Census is live now, to understand where the community is and what to do next; it has been shortened significantly since last year (2017). — 00:03:24 · Nerdfighteria
  • ★★ Hank thanks everyone for Pizzamas and says it is closing, so Pizzamas products are at DFTBA.com. — 00:03:40 · Pizzamas, DFTBA Records

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Projects: Crash Course · Dear Hank and John · DFTBA Records · Nerdfighteria Census · Pizzamas · SciShow · Truth or Fail · VidCon

Works: An Absolutely Remarkable Thing

Organizations: WNYC Studios · YouTube

Concepts: science fiction

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