Video: P4A HPA

The holiday season is upon us and that can only mean one thing: PROJECT FOR AWESOME!

And yes, in case you didn't know, I'm probably more excited for it than Christmas.

Project For Awesome (P4A) is an annual fundraiser held by YouTubers to spread awareness for charities around the world while also raising money to decrease WorldSuck (it's a real thing, I promise).

I've participated as a contributer and viewer for the last 3 years, but never as a content creator. Equal parts because I haven't felt confident enough to put out a video, and also that I can never decide on a charity to throw my support behind. There are just so many amazing organizations out there doing amazing work, that I find it near impossible to pick one. But that's where the glory of P4A comes in - you don't have to support just one. Often charities are supporting and promoting each other! You can make a video for one, but also vote and spread videos for others.

Since I'm in the groove of Vlogmas at the moment, I thought why not, and opted to make my own P4A video this year. Up until the day of shooting I had scripted out an entire video for Tabs for a Cause, and then last minute got an inspiration for one of my all time favourite online organizations: The Harry Potter Alliance (HPA). This group has done phenominal real world work while always relating it to the values and ideology back to literary and fandom references. It's one of the most powerful organizations that came out of a group of fans wanting to work in social justice in the 21st century.

After filming, editing, and submitting just minutes before the deadline I felt accomplished with the work I had created. Just to be a small part of this huge streaming online event.

What I couldn't have predicted, was the extreme love and support I found in the next 72 hours. My video reached the HPA's radar and immediately received lovely comments from the organization and its supporters. The P4A streamed for 48 hours, featuring different user videos every hour or so for different organizations. I tried to catch as much as I could between work and sleep - but mostly work. I watched as YouTubers reminded us of the importance of giving and social awareness, I watched as - for the first time in P4A history we hit $1,000,000.

Hitting the 40th hour mark, I felt safe enough to sneak in a few hours sleep before the end. Little did I know, that the organizers decided to feature my video in that period. Needless to say, I woke up in a pile of notiications with utmost confusion. Again, the love and support my little video received floored my expectations. It wasn't the most technically crisp (don't get me started on the lighting...), it wasn't the best written, it wasn't the most intriguing - but nonetheless, people enjoyed it. That is where I see a community in YouTube. You don't have to have the most cinematic work or most expensive technology - if you can capture an audience, even for a few minutes, and educate or entertain them, you've succeeded.

Thank you for an exceptional Project For Awesome, it is one I will never forget.