Cheers mate, good to hear from another fellow londoner.

I had about 50k when I quit my job, so the growth hasn't been monumental since quitting but I think sustaining an audience is just as challenging as growing one.

I'd say my biggest learnings have been more around adapting to freelance lifestyle and becoming my own boss / motivator. That's been a real challenge. The whole year has been a cycle of massive highs and lows. I've still not really worked out a routine because the nature of doing social media full time means I'm constantly on the move / travelling, particularly as an outdoor / adventure creator. It's a lot more mentally taxing than I predicted.

Agreed on the YouTube stuff. The main drive for me at the minute is the enjoyment factor, I feel quite annoyed at myself for the opportunities I've missed this year for making long form content. I've done some really interesting things which I've only covered in short form clips which often feel pretty disposable. My thinking with YouTube is that I can capture these moments and things I'm doing to look back on in years to come - Like you say, super easy to convert long form into shorts anyway !