Back in 2008, I started a short-lived video series called Plasticmind TV, focused on sharing design tips with developers. In one of the last episodes I released, I addressed the topic of accessibility — something that people were only starting to take seriously online. It was a really forward-thinking episode, and I was proud of it. As part of the episode, I performed a song I wrote about contrast. I’m not a great guitarist, but the song was catchy and fun. It praised the virtues of making important text accessible in your designs. But I was so self-conscious and insecure, I couldn’t watch the song without cringing. The whole exercise put me off of creating videos, and I gave up after 21 episodes. Instead of embracing my unconventional approach and leaning into a topic I believed in, I got embarrassed and just gave up. YouTube launched in ‘05 and had only started paying creators the year before I made these videos. Can you imagine if I’d kept going with Plasticmind TV? Has the topic of accessibility become less relevant? Has teaching developers about design become less relevant? What about the online video creator economy? Here's the point. Don’t give up on your good idea just because the sound of your own voice makes you uncomfortable. You may just be ahead of your time.
