Video journaling & creative self-exploration
Press record.
See what unfolds.
Your camera can be a place to think out loud, follow an unexpected thought, and try another way of expressing yourself. Begin a video journal. See where it takes you.
Keep it private, share it, or explore both.
00:02:00
A camera. An experiment. You.
More can happen
than you expect.
Something shifts when you press record. A passing thought becomes a story. A playful experiment takes you somewhere new. Watching it back, you may hear something you missed.
Follow the thought.
Begin with what’s on your mind. Let your words, pauses, and gestures lead you toward what you want to say.
Try another way.
Whisper an entry. Sing it. Change the camera angle. Give yourself a little room to play and see what happens.
Choose what you share.
A message to someone you love. A video poem. A journal for you alone. You decide who becomes part of the experience.
Begin here / the Daily Check-in
Start talking.
Follow where it goes.
Give yourself two minutes in front of the camera. Start with a small detail from your day and let one thought lead to the next. It’s the simple practice at the heart of Naked Lens.
From the blog
Experiments in video & life.
How to keep a video diary
Begin with the Daily Check-in: speak freely, listen back, and discover where a regular practice can take you.
Dear future self
What feels ordinary today may become extraordinary to your future self. A small invitation to make a video time capsule.
The 20 steps video exercise
Take your camera for a short walk. See how a small constraint can open up an unexpected way to express yourself.
The book behind the practice
Naked Lens.
Eight weeks of discovery.
Make friends with the camera, loosen the inner critic, and experiment with the stories you tell. Michael Sean Kaminsky’s workshop moves from your first video journal to playful self-portraits, family memories, and creative work you might choose to share.
Go at your own pace. Repeat what interests you. Make the practice your own.
Michael Sean Kaminsky / writer & filmmaker
It began with a new camera.
One hot afternoon in 1996, I pointed a new camera at myself in my tiny Manhattan apartment. I felt oddly nervous. Then I began to speak—and became curious about what the camera made possible. That curiosity led to Naked Lens.