In the Face of Silence, What Was I Really Looking At?

 YouTube Was Difficult — I Haven’t Given Up, But…

When I first planned this project, it felt like something big. Something powerful. Something that could actually succeed. The idea was so precious to me that I truly believed it would gain traction the moment it was introduced to the world.

But since uploading my first video on March 1, 2025, my YouTube channel—with 11 long-form videos and 5 Shorts—is effectively… dead. The most recent video was uploaded on April 25, 2025, and it’s now been 11 days without any new content. Currently, the number of daily viewers is exactly zero.

This blog was originally meant to serve as a bridge between YouTube and Instagram, but even here, nothing has been posted since March 1. So far, there are 10 posts—all centered around environmental pollution, especially the issue of snack packaging waste. I’ve shared my thoughts on the environmental harm these materials cause and proposed “snack bag origami” as a creative solution, but ironically, none of the actual origami results ever made it onto the blog.

My plan was this: create videos showcasing snack bag origami, start some conversations, and say things like: 

“This is why I started this project. Look what’s possible—even with snack bags! Let’s fold together!”

But the reactions were underwhelming, and I found it increasingly difficult to see the way forward.

Today, my channel has 16 videos and 16 subscribers. One of them is a friend. One is my sub account. Which means I have 14 real subscribers.

So what went wrong?

In the beginning, my editing skills weren’t good enough to attract origami enthusiasts. Later on, maybe I used the lack of views as an excuse to hold back creatively. But perhaps the most fundamental reason is this: maybe the idea of snack bag origami just isn’t appealing to most people. And honestly, folding origami with snack bags is hard. With regular paper, you can fold your way to completion through persistence. With snack bags, that same model takes 5 to 10 times the effort and strength. It’s more like sculpting clay than folding paper.

Of course, snack bags don’t tear easily—that’s a strength. They have a unique metallic look, and they’re essentially free. But I’m still trying to figure out how to make those strengths resonate with viewers.

The conviction I had when I started this journey in February 2025 has faded. Still, I haven’t given up.

I had hoped to make this project my full-time focus. But now, due to financial reasons, I’ll need to take on a job and try to manage both at once. As I write this, I wonder—two months from now, three months from now—will I be writing a post titled “I Give Up”?

I really, truly hope not.

I hope the future version of myself… is smiling.