For the past three weeks I’ve been livestreaming a 15m project push on YouTube so I could have an anchoring daily ritual. This has helped me recover from an extreme slump in productivity I experienced at the end of June through July. While I’m not completely back to feeling 100%, I’ve gained a new insight into the condition that caused the slump in the first place: the lack of creative community interaction coupled with a sense of meaningful progress. Livestreaming early in the morning for just 15-30 minutes seems to set the tone for my day, even if there is no one watching. It’s a habit I’m thinking of maintaining at least for another few weeks.

Discord, the chat room for gamers

One issue I’ve had with the livestreaming is just being aware when someone asks a question in the chat. I’ve spooled up a Discord server to help with real-time chatting on YouTube AND also when I’m not livestreaming. If you’re not familiar with Discord, it’s a “chat room app” like Slack, except it is designed for gamers instead of business. Discord provides the basics in an accessible and free platform that is easy to use. I’m using the Discord App on my computers and mobile devices, but you can also just open the chat room in a browser if you don’t want to mess with yet-another-program.

Chat room organization

I’m starting to sit in the chatroom throughout the day. It’s split into two main kinds of channels: working channels where text/voice is primarily work-related, and the social channels for any random socialization or conversation. Discord supports both text and voice pretty well, and it’s easy to jump between channels. To get to the chat room, use the https://davidseah.com/discord link. At the moment I’m sitting in the #chat text channel and “ambiant work” voice channel, so you can hear me typing and muttering to myself.

It’s surprising how reassuring I find it to hear that someone else working nearby. I’m planning on sitting in the chat room whenever I’m working on my computer.

Patreon supporters

If you are supporting me on Patreon, let me know your Discord username and I’ll add you to the special patron list. Currently this just allows me to recognize who is supporting me so I can be supportive right back! As time goes on, I will be using the Discord as a way to facilitate real-time group chat for Patron-related projects. Thanks for your support!