Three teenagers have ventured out of their comfort zones and are publically displaying their thoughts through both blogs and video blogs about life in general, their views about health and their photographs to people who are in need of a little inspiration
Jedd Mellin ’12, started his video blog a.k.a vlog in Dec. He was bored with nothing to do and said that the idea “just came to me.” Mellin does not follow a specific vlogging schedule, but instead he vlogs when a topic comes to mind.
“The only time my vlog is difficult to update is during the spans when no topic comes to mind,” Mellin said. If Mellin has a topic in his head, he says that the vlog is relatively easy to make and it only takes him about 15 minutes.
Mellin blogs about anything he is passionate about, but his least favorite part is when he vlogs about topics that do not interest him.
Mellin hopes that people gain what is best for them from his videos. “If people want to watch my vlogs because they want to laugh at me or because they are interested in what I am talking about, either way is fine by me,” Mellin said. Mellin acknowledges that what each person takes from his videos is different and personal, but he hopes that he is able to inspire conversation in each of his viewers.
On the other hand, Tessa Zimmerman ‘13, a Westporter who attends Easton Country Day School, blogs about something very dear to her heart: health. Zimmerman has been blogging since October of 2010. She began blogging because she was interested in showing how a teenager could live a healthy lifestyle based upon her personal journey as a health conscious teen.
“I want to provide teenagers with another option and suggestions to the stereotypical teen lifestyle,” Zimmerman said. “I knew that there wasn’t an inviting website that provided teens with information on fitness, food, or just life and I felt I could fill that space.”
With SATs, Drivers Ed and other junior year chaos, Zimmerman finds it difficult to regularly update her blog. However, she does her best to update it twice a week and is motivated to do so because she loves the sense of satisfaction that her blog brings her.
Zimmerman’s journey blogging has allowed her to make connections with people she would otherwise have never met like Roman Price, the founder of lifepulp.com and Donna Ratner, the founder of Cellnique.
Also, all of the support that Zimmerman receives from teens and adults is what keeps her motivated. “It’s one thing to post something, but to know someone has taken the time to read it and has gotten something out of it is priceless.”
Lastly, there is Charlotte Feinstein ’12 who had tons of old photographs that she had taken that were just lying around and thought that it would be a shame for them to remain hidden. Feinstein said, “I want people to be able to embed themselves in the world that I create through my photographs.” Feinstein also thought that a blog would be an organized way to show people her portfolio.
“I can reference back to my blog whenever I am applying for a job or if I just want to show someone my recent work,” Feinstein said.
Feinstein’s favorite part about having a blog is being able to show people all that she has accomplished and is thrilled with the amount of viewers that she has attracted.
However, Feinstein’s blog is hard work. The process of putting together a photoshoot takes both preparation and creativity. Feinstein plans her shoots weeks in advance in order to have everything in order and ready to go by the day of the shoot.
While Mellin, Zimmerman and Feinstein love what they do and show great pride in their blogs, some students like Helena Wippick ’12 show no interest in starting their own blog or vlog.
“I know that I do not care enough to read other peoples blogs, so I doubt anyone would care to hear the mundane trials and tribulations of my life,” Wippick said.
Nonetheless, some Staples students are inspired by these blogs and are interested in starting their own.
Lily Barsanti ’14 said, “Ever since I have taken digital darkroom I have always thought about creating a blog for all my pictures. I definitely have a lot of cool and abstract ones that I would want people to be able to see and relate to.”
For anyone hesitant about starting their own form of blog, Mellin, Zimmerman and Feinstein all stress that you allow your blog to speak your voice and show people what you have to offer.
“I think that the reason why most people do not blog or vlog is because they are scared of what their peers will think of them. Do not let fear get the best of you and stop you from doing something you want to do,” Mellin said. “If you truly enjoy doing it and its something you love to do, nobody can take that away from you. That doesn’t just apply to blogging and vlogging, but life in general.”
