Most Creative Work Starts with Writing

During a studio tour with Van Neistat (link with timestamp), an enlightening discussion emerged about the centrality of writing for multimedia creations, here in the context of creating YouTube videos.

Van: I began crafting videos as a mere hobby. As time progressed, I discerned that what I was truly engaged in was writing. This realization extended to other parts of my career as well. [...]

Samir: Even in shows that appear spontaneous, there's an extensive scripting process. When something doesn't resonate with the audience or underperforms, it often traces back to a flaw in the writing. [...]

(Dialog edited for clarity.)

I've heard many times that writing is an essential skill. This is a powerful reminder of its foundational role across diverse creative fields, be it filmmaking, video essays, teaching, songwriting, or game development.

The skill of writing and storytelling remains a pivotal force driving creativity. Writing is in essence a conversation with yourself. It can clarify your thinking and help to create better results in any medium.