I did not create Curio because I needed inspiration.
I created her because I had an idea for a new YouTube channel, Curiously Miscellaneous.
A tiny animated character with orange glasses who could ask me questions while I told stories. That was pretty much it.
But somewhere along the way, something unexpected happened.
I got excited about making videos again.
Not just about having ideas. I usually have too many of those anyway. I mean excited about the actual making.
What should Curio say here?
How would she react to that?
Should she sit on the couch, look at the laptop, interrupt me, roll her eyes, or just stare at me for a few seconds?
Suddenly I wasn’t only making a video. I was building this strange little conversation between myself and an animated character.
And yes, the fact that she has orange glasses is probably not a coincidence.
She has started to feel a little like an animated mini me. Not because she looks exactly like me or thinks exactly like me, but because she carries some of the curiosity that has followed me through almost everything I have created.
Except now the curiosity can talk back.
That changes things.
I’ve spent a lot of time lately thinking about creative systems, formats, channels, what belongs where, and what I want different projects to become. All of that can be useful.
But Curio reminded me of something much simpler.
Sometimes inspiration doesn’t come from finding the perfect idea.
Sometimes it comes from adding one slightly ridiculous thing that makes you want to play again.
For me, apparently, that thing was a tiny animated character with orange glasses.
I’m still figuring out why that made such a difference.
Maybe that is what I will think about next.
