So hey, new Curse of Strahd game is starting up for Thursday evenings. If you've been curious and want to play a fun campaign and classic D&D adventure, come check out the game here: startplaying.games/adventure/cm0e9eo8w0046jctn8b09…
Like many new creators, I wanted youtube to be a source of reliable income, and I wanted to do it without chasing trends or pandering to what I thought the algorithm might want. So when I got monetized doing my own thing, I was so proud! It felt like a new beginning!
I continued to work my ass off everyday, sometimes for 16 hour stretches. I made fully colored and voice acted animations, learned how to produce music, hosted AND edited a podcast... I was a one-man wrecking crew, and I was going to make a buck off of this website, damn it!
Deep down though, I knew I was playing a losing game.
I'm a perfectionist in a bad way, and unless I got supremely lucky, I would need to throw that bad habit out the window if I wanted my animations to gain any traction. It's a numbers game - quantity and consistency are what matter. If I wanted to see growth, I'd need to strip down the polish. Take every shortcut, every time-saving measure. Pump out a single kind of content, done well, done fast, and done on time, like a machine. I tried to do all that too, or at least as much as pride would allow me, but I could feel myself beginning to get burned out quick.
So I pivoted. Focused more on the music, on the podcast. Diversified my content to keep myself interested and chugging away. Sure, my animations took longer (if they came out at all), but at least I was making SOMETHING. Anything.
Alas, the algorithm is a fickle mistress, and I knew it. We all do - it's all any youtuber ever talks about. And I told myself that I was making videos for my own satisfaction, and that I simply wanted to share them with the world. This was true. Mostly.
And yet, despite making what I wanted to make, despite not resorting to tricks like clickbait thumbnails or making only fan content for other properties, I STILL ended up fixated on growth! Being monetized pressured me to keep posting, no matter what, because maaaaybe one day, a video might make me money!
It didn't matter that I was always tired. Didn't matter that I would catch myself grumbling about the amount of work I had - work I gave myself. I HAD to keep making content, because now I'm a partner and... isn't that what I wanted?
It's not like I didn't know how hard this would be when I began... it just never got any easier.
Years of this passed. Eventually, I switched to a new career, met the love of my life, moved in with her, got married, and had a child. Having a family has me feeling fulfilled in ways I never even knew I could.
And all the while... I STILL felt guilt about not uploading! My future is looking bright, but... what about my channel!
So when this email came today, it was bittersweet.
Sure, I'm bummed. It's sad that what I worked so hard for is going to be taken away. Who knows if I'll ever be able to gain that status back?
But man... what a relief!
That pressure is finally going away. I won't feel like I HAVE to upload videos! I'm... dare I say it? Free... 🙂
In all seriousness, I've made so many wonderful friends through youtube, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. It opened up opportunities for me to branch out and find what I do best. I can't express how grateful I am for that.
"But what about the money?" I hear you saying. Ya want to know how much youtube has paid me over 5+ years and over 100 videos?
$100. So like, a dollar per video. Over half a decade. Hahahahaha 😀🔫
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you read all of this, I want to thank you for your time. One thing that does actually suck is that I will lose the ability to make community posts like this one, once monetization leaves. So if you're a watcher of my videos (and actually enjoy them), let me clear the air one a couple things.
First of all, don't worry - I'm not retiring completely. I'm just focusing on my family and other creative pursuits right now. And when I do decide to upload again, I will only do so when and IF I feel like it... and that feels good!
If you want to keep up with me elsewhere, I have a bluesky -> bsky.app/profile/coolboyshane.bsky.social and I still make music commissions as well as run Curse of Strahd games on startplaying.games!
The BIG project I've been working heavily on for the past year is gathering art, map, music, and other assets while writing and reworking rules for 🪐5e SPELLJAMMER🚀, which I plan on running games for on startplaying in the future! If that interests you, stick around! It's going to be a blast!
Thank you all for following me on this journey. You'll be seeing me around in a while, so stay cool. 😎
Hey folks, only TWO DAYS before the Curse of Strahd 5e Wednesday Session 0 begins! This will be my last announcement for this particular game - and I've brought the price down from $35 to $30 per session - all while still offering the same perks and features as before! - 👨🎨 Free hand-drawn character tokens! - 🎧 Curated music for immersion! - 🗺 High-quality maps and visual assets! - 🎲 Roll20 and Discord accessible (I provide the books!) - 🧛♂️ The COMPLETE "Curse of Strahd" experience, dungeon mastered by yours truly!
Well folks, a lot has happened this year. The biggest development is that I'm now a father to a beautiful little girl! I took some time off after she was born, but now that I'm starting to get a handle on taking care of the baby, it's finally time for the next Curse of Strahd campaign to get underway!
That's right! If you didn't know, I personally run "Curse of Strahd" for 5e D&D for people wanting to experience this classic adventure for themselves. If YOU would like to play with me as your dungeon master, here's what you need to know:
Important Details:
〰 This campaign takes place weekly on 🌠Wednesdays at 7pm EST!🌠
〰 Session 0 is scheduled for 🌠10/25/23!🌠
〰 The price per session is $35, and only $10 for Session 0!
〰 To join, you must first create an account on [ startplaying.games/ ].
〰 If your budget allows, and you are willing to commit to a little over a year of D&D with my goofy ass, then join the game soon by using the link below! The first two people to join get Session 1 half off!
Unique Perks:
〰 👨🎨 I will HAND-DRAW your character tokens! (some time after your 2nd full session) 〰 🦺 Safety tools available!
〰 🎨 Custom art assets from top to bottom!
〰 🎶 Music sets the mood for each game (volume adjustable, too)!
〰 📑 House Rules that are fun, organized, and easy to learn and reference!
〰 0️⃣ Session 0 is only $10, so if during that session you decide this game isn't right for you for whatever reason, all you did was give me ten bucks. That's not so bad, right?
What to Expect:
〰 🎲 Roll20 VTT (some dynamic lighting on large maps is used)
〰 🎮 Discord (microphones are required, cameras are encouraged)
〰 👥 4 - 6 players (MUST be 18+ years old to play)
〰 💪 2nd level to 10th level
〰 ⏱ 3 - 3.5 hour sessions
〰 🗣 Roleplay Focused (some sessions will not have combat encounters)
〰 ⚠ Lethal Encounters (when combat does occur, character death is often a real threat)
〰 🔞 Mature Themes (CW: consent, abuse, violence towards minors and animals, unfair treatment of minorities)
Greetings, adventurers! I am pleased to announce that after over a year of work, I'm finally ready to unveil my next project: working as a Professional Dungeon Master for "Curse of Strahd" games! And I want to share this experience with YOU!
That's right! You can join me in experiencing "Curse of Strahd" personally! If you'd like to play this adventure with me as your DM, here's what you need to know:
What to Expect:
〰 🎲 Roll20 VTT (some dynamic lighting on large maps is used) 〰 🎮 Discord (microphones are required, cameras are encouraged) 〰 👥 4 - 6 players (must be 18+ years old to play)
〰 💪 2nd level to 10th level (up to 11th level for small parties)
〰 ⏱ 3 hour sessions (if a session goes short, we'll try to make up that lost time in one of the next sessions)
〰 🗣 Roleplay Focused (some games will have NO combat encounters)
〰 ⚠ Lethal Encounters (when combat does occur, death can be a real threat)
〰 🔞 Mature Themes (CW: consent, abuse, violence towards minors and animals, unfair treatment of minorities)
Unique Perks: 〰 🦺 Safety tools available! 〰 👨🎨 I will HAND-DRAW your character tokens! (after your 2nd regular session)
〰 🎨 Custom art assets from top to bottom!
〰 🎶 Music plays during games! 〰 📑 House Rules that are sensible, interesting, and easy to learn! 〰 0️⃣ Session 0 is only $10!
Important Details: 〰 The first campaign that I'll be running takes place 🌠Mondays at 7pm EST!🌠 (I will be running more in the coming months!) 〰 Session 0 is scheduled for 🌠2/13/23!🌠 〰 Sessions are weekly and cost $30 each ($10 for Session 0). 〰 To join, you must first create an account on [ startplaying.games/ ]. 〰 If your budget allows, and you are willing to commit to over a year of D&D with my goofy ass, then join the game soon by using the link below!
Folks, since GenCon2021, I've been hard at work behind the scenes creating hundreds of character tokens; polishing up maps, items, and lore; creating balanced and fun homebrew/house rule handouts; curating a massive collection of music to play during games; and stress-testing all of it with a personal friend group.
You all know that I've played in Curse of Strahd as Ophelia (as depicted in "The Peace Guild"). I've written music for the setting, read up on a fair bit of the old Ravenloft material, and have run this campaign multiple times already. My dedication to this story is real, and I hope that anyone seriously considering joining is ready to become just as obsessed as I've been!
Thank you to everyone that has subscribed to me over the past couple years, I hope that this year I can give you more Podcasts & Players, music, and even a couple animations!
Tomorrow at 12pm EST, I'll be on ~ twitch.tv/birbynerd ~ for a 12-hour fundraiser to help me pay for the dental costs of getting my front teeth fixed!
We've got a bunch of fun incentives for anyone willing to donate, including a custom illustration by me for donors who give a $100 or more, cumulative milestones forcing me to eat extremely spicy chocolates, and overall milestones that include having my head shaved live, giving a performance on ukulele, and culminating in me making an animation on my youtube channel thanking each donor!
Even if you can't donate (or just don't want to, I get that) feel free to pop in and join us for some fun shenanigans happening all day long! I appreciate any and all who are willing to stop by and hang out with us!
Take a look at the ad I made if you want a better idea of what I can do!
https://youtu.be/Ze-4qFd3zLc I've already made music for plenty of satisfied peeps, so go on and take a chance! Get that special song you've always wanted! I'll do my best to help your idea come to fruition!
Hey, look at this neat spider boy I made! If you want to know more about him, you can catch tonight's #DnD game streamed at 7pm EST on --> twitch.tv/capncheeki <--!
We'll be playing in the Bellowing Wilds, the setting of
Dingo Doodles "Fool's Gold" series! Go check out her and Felix's kickstarter and help get them to 2 million for those juicy stretch goals!!! www.kickstarter.com/projects/hitpointpress/fools-g…
Cool Boy Shane
Cool Boy Shane
Looks like I get to keep my community tab. Nice.
So hey, new Curse of Strahd game is starting up for Thursday evenings. If you've been curious and want to play a fun campaign and classic D&D adventure, come check out the game here: startplaying.games/adventure/cm0e9eo8w0046jctn8b09…
Hope to see you there 😎
1 year ago | [YT] | 8
View 2 replies
Cool Boy Shane
I remember how hard I worked to get monetized.
Like many new creators, I wanted youtube to be a source of reliable income, and I wanted to do it without chasing trends or pandering to what I thought the algorithm might want. So when I got monetized doing my own thing, I was so proud! It felt like a new beginning!
I continued to work my ass off everyday, sometimes for 16 hour stretches. I made fully colored and voice acted animations, learned how to produce music, hosted AND edited a podcast... I was a one-man wrecking crew, and I was going to make a buck off of this website, damn it!
Deep down though, I knew I was playing a losing game.
I'm a perfectionist in a bad way, and unless I got supremely lucky, I would need to throw that bad habit out the window if I wanted my animations to gain any traction. It's a numbers game - quantity and consistency are what matter. If I wanted to see growth, I'd need to strip down the polish. Take every shortcut, every time-saving measure. Pump out a single kind of content, done well, done fast, and done on time, like a machine. I tried to do all that too, or at least as much as pride would allow me, but I could feel myself beginning to get burned out quick.
So I pivoted. Focused more on the music, on the podcast. Diversified my content to keep myself interested and chugging away. Sure, my animations took longer (if they came out at all), but at least I was making SOMETHING. Anything.
Alas, the algorithm is a fickle mistress, and I knew it. We all do - it's all any youtuber ever talks about. And I told myself that I was making videos for my own satisfaction, and that I simply wanted to share them with the world. This was true. Mostly.
And yet, despite making what I wanted to make, despite not resorting to tricks like clickbait thumbnails or making only fan content for other properties, I STILL ended up fixated on growth! Being monetized pressured me to keep posting, no matter what, because maaaaybe one day, a video might make me money!
It didn't matter that I was always tired. Didn't matter that I would catch myself grumbling about the amount of work I had - work I gave myself. I HAD to keep making content, because now I'm a partner and... isn't that what I wanted?
It's not like I didn't know how hard this would be when I began... it just never got any easier.
Years of this passed. Eventually, I switched to a new career, met the love of my life, moved in with her, got married, and had a child. Having a family has me feeling fulfilled in ways I never even knew I could.
And all the while... I STILL felt guilt about not uploading! My future is looking bright, but... what about my channel!
So when this email came today, it was bittersweet.
Sure, I'm bummed. It's sad that what I worked so hard for is going to be taken away. Who knows if I'll ever be able to gain that status back?
But man... what a relief!
That pressure is finally going away. I won't feel like I HAVE to upload videos! I'm... dare I say it? Free... 🙂
In all seriousness, I've made so many wonderful friends through youtube, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. It opened up opportunities for me to branch out and find what I do best. I can't express how grateful I am for that.
"But what about the money?" I hear you saying. Ya want to know how much youtube has paid me over 5+ years and over 100 videos?
$100.
So like, a dollar per video. Over half a decade. Hahahahaha 😀🔫
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you read all of this, I want to thank you for your time. One thing that does actually suck is that I will lose the ability to make community posts like this one, once monetization leaves. So if you're a watcher of my videos (and actually enjoy them), let me clear the air one a couple things.
First of all, don't worry - I'm not retiring completely. I'm just focusing on my family and other creative pursuits right now. And when I do decide to upload again, I will only do so when and IF I feel like it... and that feels good!
If you want to keep up with me elsewhere, I have a bluesky -> bsky.app/profile/coolboyshane.bsky.social
and I still make music commissions as well as run Curse of Strahd games on startplaying.games!
The BIG project I've been working heavily on for the past year is gathering art, map, music, and other assets while writing and reworking rules for 🪐5e SPELLJAMMER🚀, which I plan on running games for on startplaying in the future! If that interests you, stick around! It's going to be a blast!
Thank you all for following me on this journey. You'll be seeing me around in a while, so stay cool. 😎
1 year ago | [YT] | 28
View 4 replies
Cool Boy Shane
Hey folks, only TWO DAYS before the Curse of Strahd 5e Wednesday Session 0 begins! This will be my last announcement for this particular game - and I've brought the price down from $35 to $30 per session - all while still offering the same perks and features as before!
- 👨🎨 Free hand-drawn character tokens!
- 🎧 Curated music for immersion!
- 🗺 High-quality maps and visual assets!
- 🎲 Roll20 and Discord accessible (I provide the books!)
- 🧛♂️ The COMPLETE "Curse of Strahd" experience, dungeon mastered by yours truly!
Here's your chance to join the adventure! (Remember: Session 0 is only $10!)
startplaying.games/adventure/clndssxy4000108kv19gf…
2 years ago | [YT] | 6
View 0 replies
Cool Boy Shane
Well folks, a lot has happened this year. The biggest development is that I'm now a father to a beautiful little girl! I took some time off after she was born, but now that I'm starting to get a handle on taking care of the baby, it's finally time for the next Curse of Strahd campaign to get underway!
That's right! If you didn't know, I personally run "Curse of Strahd" for 5e D&D for people wanting to experience this classic adventure for themselves. If YOU would like to play with me as your dungeon master, here's what you need to know:
Important Details:
〰 This campaign takes place weekly on 🌠Wednesdays at 7pm EST!🌠
〰 Session 0 is scheduled for 🌠10/25/23!🌠
〰 The price per session is $35, and only $10 for Session 0!
〰 To join, you must first create an account on [ startplaying.games/ ].
〰 If your budget allows, and you are willing to commit to a little over a year of D&D with my goofy ass, then join the game soon by using the link below! The first two people to join get Session 1 half off!
[ startplaying.games/adventure/clndssxy4000108kv19gf… ]
Unique Perks:
〰 👨🎨 I will HAND-DRAW your character tokens! (some time after your 2nd full session)
〰 🦺 Safety tools available!
〰 🎨 Custom art assets from top to bottom!
〰 🎶 Music sets the mood for each game (volume adjustable, too)!
〰 📑 House Rules that are fun, organized, and easy to learn and reference!
〰 0️⃣ Session 0 is only $10, so if during that session you decide this game isn't right for you for whatever reason, all you did was give me ten bucks. That's not so bad, right?
What to Expect:
〰 🎲 Roll20 VTT (some dynamic lighting on large maps is used)
〰 🎮 Discord (microphones are required, cameras are encouraged)
〰 👥 4 - 6 players (MUST be 18+ years old to play)
〰 💪 2nd level to 10th level
〰 ⏱ 3 - 3.5 hour sessions
〰 🗣 Roleplay Focused (some sessions will not have combat encounters)
〰 ⚠ Lethal Encounters (when combat does occur, character death is often a real threat)
〰 🔞 Mature Themes (CW: consent, abuse, violence towards minors and animals, unfair treatment of minorities)
2 years ago | [YT] | 7
View 0 replies
Cool Boy Shane
Greetings, adventurers! I am pleased to announce that after over a year of work, I'm finally ready to unveil my next project: working as a Professional Dungeon Master for "Curse of Strahd" games! And I want to share this experience with YOU!
That's right! You can join me in experiencing "Curse of Strahd" personally! If you'd like to play this adventure with me as your DM, here's what you need to know:
What to Expect:
〰 🎲 Roll20 VTT (some dynamic lighting on large maps is used)
〰 🎮 Discord (microphones are required, cameras are encouraged)
〰 👥 4 - 6 players (must be 18+ years old to play)
〰 💪 2nd level to 10th level (up to 11th level for small parties)
〰 ⏱ 3 hour sessions (if a session goes short, we'll try to make up that lost time in one of the next sessions)
〰 🗣 Roleplay Focused (some games will have NO combat encounters)
〰 ⚠ Lethal Encounters (when combat does occur, death can be a real threat)
〰 🔞 Mature Themes (CW: consent, abuse, violence towards minors and animals, unfair treatment of minorities)
Unique Perks:
〰 🦺 Safety tools available!
〰 👨🎨 I will HAND-DRAW your character tokens! (after your 2nd regular session)
〰 🎨 Custom art assets from top to bottom!
〰 🎶 Music plays during games!
〰 📑 House Rules that are sensible, interesting, and easy to learn!
〰 0️⃣ Session 0 is only $10!
Important Details:
〰 The first campaign that I'll be running takes place 🌠Mondays at 7pm EST!🌠 (I will be running more in the coming months!)
〰 Session 0 is scheduled for 🌠2/13/23!🌠
〰 Sessions are weekly and cost $30 each ($10 for Session 0).
〰 To join, you must first create an account on [ startplaying.games/ ].
〰 If your budget allows, and you are willing to commit to over a year of D&D with my goofy ass, then join the game soon by using the link below!
[ startplaying.games/adventure/cldafgxht000n08jxce3w… ]
Folks, since GenCon2021, I've been hard at work behind the scenes creating hundreds of character tokens; polishing up maps, items, and lore; creating balanced and fun homebrew/house rule handouts; curating a massive collection of music to play during games; and stress-testing all of it with a personal friend group.
You all know that I've played in Curse of Strahd as Ophelia (as depicted in "The Peace Guild"). I've written music for the setting, read up on a fair bit of the old Ravenloft material, and have run this campaign multiple times already. My dedication to this story is real, and I hope that anyone seriously considering joining is ready to become just as obsessed as I've been!
Thank you to everyone that has subscribed to me over the past couple years, I hope that this year I can give you more Podcasts & Players, music, and even a couple animations!
2 years ago (edited) | [YT] | 16
View 4 replies
Cool Boy Shane
Yo, help a cool boy out? 🥺
Tomorrow at 12pm EST, I'll be on ~ twitch.tv/birbynerd ~ for a 12-hour fundraiser to help me pay for the dental costs of getting my front teeth fixed!
We've got a bunch of fun incentives for anyone willing to donate, including a custom illustration by me for donors who give a $100 or more, cumulative milestones forcing me to eat extremely spicy chocolates, and overall milestones that include having my head shaved live, giving a performance on ukulele, and culminating in me making an animation on my youtube channel thanking each donor!
Even if you can't donate (or just don't want to, I get that) feel free to pop in and join us for some fun shenanigans happening all day long! I appreciate any and all who are willing to stop by and hang out with us!
3 years ago | [YT] | 10
View 0 replies
Cool Boy Shane
Take a look at the ad I made if you want a better idea of what I can do!
https://youtu.be/Ze-4qFd3zLc
I've already made music for plenty of satisfied peeps, so go on and take a chance! Get that special song you've always wanted! I'll do my best to help your idea come to fruition!
3 years ago | [YT] | 11
View 3 replies
Cool Boy Shane
Hey, look at this neat spider boy I made! If you want to know more about him, you can catch tonight's #DnD game streamed at 7pm EST on --> twitch.tv/capncheeki <--!
We'll be playing in the Bellowing Wilds, the setting of Dingo Doodles "Fool's Gold" series! Go check out her and Felix's kickstarter and help get them to 2 million for those juicy stretch goals!!!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/hitpointpress/fools-g…
4 years ago | [YT] | 18
View 0 replies
Cool Boy Shane
I'm going live on twitch for a bit, come drop in while I work on my latest animation :)
www.twitch.tv/coolboyshane
4 years ago | [YT] | 14
View 0 replies
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