If you know about Lani Flowers it’s probably from YouTube. I want to clarify that I have no intention of breaking up with YouTube — I love that platform and all of my subscribers (1548 total at the time of this post). There are a few reasons why I decided to start a blog, and what I intend to achieve with this new platform.

#1. Expansion. I don’t want to be limited to one space, I want to expand my influence. If you’re thinking.. “what influence?” — exactly. So that’s why I’m trying to expand it.

I absolutely suck at editing videos. Please don’t think I’m not aware. I’ve always been aware, and I’ve never cared to do anything about it. Until now. Truthfully, I never focused too much on the fandagles of videography because I’ve never thought of myself to be a “techie” kind of person. The goal was not to impress with how cool my videos could look, but more how real can I be while also showcasing this wonderful thing God granted me called a personality. For 5 years I convinced myself that good intentions and personality could make up for my lack of “tech talent” and honestly I could have rode that wave til the end, but I wouldn’t be Lani Flowers if I wasn’t constantly trying to grow and evolve, so here we are.

Please don’t expect my video quality to improve overnight. Lighting will continue to be poor, the clips will continue to whiplash you worse than turbulence on a spirit airlines flight, and the awkward positioning of my phone camera with my barracks room wall as the backdrop will continue to be lackluster until I can upgrade my space. Please bear with me. Change is not easy, but it is necessary.

There are also other complications to recording videos. Without going into the grand details of my process, I would just like to say that from writing the scripts for the videos (yes there is always a script cause if someone wants to come for something i said.. yes i said it and will say it again), to recording, and editing, the process takes HOURS! The fulfillment I feel from sharing my thoughts and experiences is definitely worth the time, but realistically speaking, when I don’t have the time (or energy for that matter) to dedicate to my “hobby” it means that I have to engage in it less. You might be thinking.. OK nobody is holding a gun to your head to make you record these videos so just post when you want.. right! exactly! Except I’m also trying to build my brand, make a name for myself, and appear somewhat consistent — my inconsistency I feel is bad for business. 

Then there’s the more ‘touchy’ side of things. I’m not overly concerned with my appearance, but it’s hard not to scrutinize yourself when the camera is on you. I don’t wear makeup all the time, but when I record I do my little one two cause the camera will wash you out quick if you’re not careful, and although I do like getting all cute, sometimes that is just not the mood!

Enter: Blog. I write my scripts anyway, this is basically just the script to the video minus the video part. Except they’re not totally the same! Let me explain. So with the video I might choose to subtract some statements that visual cues would be able to make up for, but with the blog I can speak more freely to add more depth. Am I losing you? Writing has always been sort of a niche thing for me. I’ve gone thru many seasons with this passion of mine and I’ve learned a lot. Writer’s block is a myth. Just something you tell yourself when you don’t want to face uncomfortable feelings.. but I promise if you untangle the emotional mess for long enough, the stream will flow. 

I’ve been told I talk a lot from the time I was able to talk. Usually when people say it, it’s meant as an insult — and I used to take it that way — key words, USED TO. However, I am now choosing to lean in. Fear of rejection is normal, but I don’t want it to be my normal. Fear of any kind, actually, whether that be of success or failure, or anything in between, I dare say is obsolete in my world. The GRAND EXCEPTION however, being my deep fear of the Lord. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” – Proverbs 9:10 KJV

I don’t have any big plans of trying to get rich from my blog, eventually I might put some ads on here just to see what could happen, but honestly probably not cause when I read articles online nothing could be more annoying than an ad- and I’d hate for my users to have that experience so..

It is one of my core beliefs that we all have something to learn from each other and in turn something to teach each other. If you take anything away from this post, let it be this (and the scripture, don’t forget that). I don’t want anyone to ever think that I think I have all the answers. All I can do is share what I believe. I enjoy receiving insight from others, but unfortunately I did not receive as much feedback from my YouTube channel as I had hoped I would in the past 5 years. I’m grateful for those who have left comments and helped me along the way, and I remain hopeful that with this blog, maybe conversational traffic will pick up. Don’t let the limiting belief that you have “nothing to share” stop you from shining your light.

I’m a Flower that is constantly growing. Can we be Buds? Can we root for each other and watch each other grow? Thank you for visiting my blog. Stay a little while longer, and read a little bit more. Until next time, XOXO