I Bought a GoPro and Immediately Started Planning My Entire Future

The Life of a Modern Renaissance Man: A Video Journal, entry 13

Some people buy a camera. I buy a camera and mentally construct an entire production empire before I've finished opening the box.

Enter the GoPro HERO9 Black.

At the time, I wanted to vlog more consistently, and my phone-to-computer workflow was driving me crazy. Transferring footage could become its own part-time job. I thought having a small dedicated camera and a memory card would make it easier to film my life, get the footage onto my computer, and keep moving.

So I made an unboxing video. My first one. And, because I am who I am, I was already tearing through the packaging, marveling at the tiny camera, criticizing little design details, and getting distracted by nearly everything in the box. The graphic designer in me has opinions about how a thing feels. The filmmaker in me just wants to start recording.

What I find funny now is how hopeful I was about a piece of gear solving a creative problem. Equipment can absolutely remove friction, but it doesn't wake up early, make the edit, or publish the video for you.

Still, that excitement mattered. I was investing in a version of my life where capturing stories was easier and more natural. Sometimes a new tool is really a promise to yourself: I'm going to create more.