We were lucky to catch up with Sireka recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sireka, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

Learning how to make and edit meaningful content has been one of the most interesting but also challenging parts of learning the craft. It took many hours of watching youtube videos on editing, asking my fellow creators for advice/help, and ultimately, trial and error. Still, I wouldn’t want to speed up the process of learning, as the process itself, is a vehicle for expanding my knowledge, despite how arduous and tedious it might be. In addition to the technical and creative elements of creating content, there is a lot of emotional learning to be done, which can be just as difficult. With content creation, you have to learn to be okay putting yourself out there, with being vulnerable, with opening yourself to judgment, and with failure. Even with the most advanced technical skills, if the emotional aspects aren’t there, then it can feel difficult to keep going even if you don’t have instant gratification or overnight success. Thus, I would say that learning the emotional elements of the craft was one of my biggest obstacles, but I have a passion for learning and growing in all aspects of my life, including this one so I’m always looking to learn more.

Sireka, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Sireka, which actually comes from one of my middle names (fun fact). I create beauty and lifestyle content, which is my favourite type of content to consume. I used these interests as inspiration to begin creating my own content about 3 years ago when I started my Youtube channel in 2022. On my channel, I love to make reviews of makeup products, vlog different aspects of my life, and do informal chit chats with my viewers. I am most proud of the fact that I’m my authentic self in my content, and I’m extremely proud of my commitment to my content. I have been working tirelessly to create content, for the past 3 years, that is meaningful to me. One of the best part of this work is my audience. I love being able to connect with people around the world, and I always want my supporters to know how much they mean to me. Thank you for rocking with me for the past 3 years!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I mentioned it earlier but the most rewarding aspect about being a creative, for me, is creating a community. I’ve taken the time to intentionally create an authentic, and beautiful community from across North America. They support me in celebratory moments, and have showed me so much love since the very beginning. I love when they share tidbits about their lives, and honestly, they inspire me to keep making content.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I was honestly terrified when it came to building an audience, mostly because I thought no-one would actually engage with my content. This was one of the main reasons that it took me so long to actually make my Youtube channel. I remember actually having to give myself a pep talk in my bathroom mirror before going to film my first video. I was SO nervous. However, I built my audience by being consistent, and authentic. I showed aspects of my life that mean a lot of me, and I posted videos/photos on a consistent basis. I also engage with people who watch my content. I think this would be the basis of my advice for others. Ensure that you are making authentic content as viewers can typically tell when you’re putting on a show or pretending to be something you’re not. In addition, post consistently! Even if content doesn’t perform well, keep posting. People will keep coming back if they have something to watch so make a posting schedule and stick to it. Last, show your audience that you care about them. Carve time out of your day to respond to comments, answer questions, and THANK your audience.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jlumsdenxo/
• Twitter: https://x.com/jlumsdenxo
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SIREKAYOUTUBE/featured

Image Credits

Makeup Artist: @brushedbyjordene