May 29, 2026: Getting out of my comfort zone...

 

Looking for online communities...

Struggles of being a lurker and a broke student

I have been a “lurker” for most of my life, meaning I mostly consume online content rather than actively participate. I read articles, watch videos, and like pictures, but mostly those of my friends, explore different music genres, and quietly observe online spaces.

Now, partly because of the course I am taking, I have started looking for online communities that align with my interests, especially free ones, since I am a broke student.

Learning a Language

My first idea was to join a community for learning French. Learning a language seems much more effective when you do it with other people. Practicing together, encouraging one another, and having fun along the way can make the process more motivating.

I started looking for YouTube channels to learn French. One of the biggest channels I found was "Easy French", which is also part of a larger network with channels for German, English, Spanish, and other languages. Another channel I really liked was "Piece of French" because it had a more personal and relaxed vibe. Some other channels felt too focused on preparing for French exams, which was not exactly what I was looking for.

Unfortunately, finding an actual community was more difficult than I expected. Many YouTube creators offered communities, but access usually required a monthly or yearly subscription for extra videos, learning content, and interaction with other learners.

So, I searched for blogs and websites. There are communities on Reddit, but there were more memes, sporadic questions, and updates about people's exam progress than communal learning interactions. Blogs had useful learning content, but opportunities to engage with others felt limited.

Sketching

Eventually, I shifted my focus to sketching. I have recently become interested in it, and I thought it would be fun and inspiring to connect with other beginners. I found a great YouTube channel called "Sketching Scottie" that has cool tutorials and artwork. However, just like with language learning, joining the community required a paid subscription. I understand why, since creating videos, tutorials, books, and step-by-step lessons takes a lot of effort and time. 

I noticed that the art community seems to like the platform "Patreon". The communities there also seem genuinely fun and supportive because members can post drawings, exchange ideas, comment on each other’s work, and receive advice.

I also explored Instagram, looking for beginner sketching groups and artists with interactive communities, but I did not have much luck. Most interactions were limited to likes, comments, and views, or involved following artists who were already highly skilled. Still, they were very inspiring. I especially liked "daribodrawing" for the tutorials and techniques, and "xoxoannakwan" for the amazing food sketches she creates. 

I think it is easier for artists who already have some skills, connections, or algorithmic luck to build relationships on large platforms like Instagram.

Music

In the end, I turned to music, which has always been my go-to for relaxing and taking breaks. That is when I realized I had never actually used YouTube Music, even though I constantly use YouTube itself, and YouTube Music is literally one click away in the sidebar. That feels kind of weird and says a lot about the importance of "attention" in these times of technology.

(I also wondered how many people actually use YouTube Music. According to an article from Music Business Worldwide, YouTube Music had reached 125 million paid subscribers by 2025. Nevertheless, Spotify remains the largest music streaming service, with 263 million users.)

After that, I started wondering where people connect and discuss music, albums, and songs. I discovered "Record Club", although following and connecting with people there still feels awkward and unfamiliar to me. It is more of a blog to recommend music, writing reviews, liking, curating lists, than anything else. Still, I want to give it a try.

Maybe this whole process is really about learning to participate online in ways that are meaningful to oneself rather than just observing.