I’ve Created My Contact Page With Another Plugin

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I recently looked into creating an author page on Goodreads. Many authors whom I like have their own. Readers can ask questions about writing and specific books on there, which is cool. It’s basically a social media platform for writers and readers to connect.

One of the requirements to get an author page on Goodreads is to have a website with a contact form. So I set up a contact form on this website.

It was a bit annoying to set up the mail that sends the message over to me, but I think I figured it out in the end. Everything else was easy to do with a plugin called Contact Form 7.

Coach Red Pill’s Videos Will Always Be There

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When I first came across Coach Red Pill, I didn’t like him. He seemed like a con man trying to cash in on a trending topic—“the Red Pill”—which was gaining popularity back in the day. But as he grew on YouTube, his videos kept popping up in my recommendations, and eventually, I gave him a second chance.

Somehow, he grew on me. With each video I watched, I found myself liking him more. Even when I disagreed with him, there was usually something valuable—or at least entertaining—to take away.

When I heard he died in Ukraine, it felt strange. I’d never met him, and he had no idea who I was. Still, it felt like losing a friend. I had spent more time watching his videos and listening to his thoughts than with actual real life friends. Until his death was officially confirmed, I kept hoping it was just another internet hoax. People will say anything to go viral these days, so maybe—just maybe—someone had reported his death without checking the facts.

But sadly, it was true. Coach Red Pill (Gonzalo Lira) is gone.

He once talked about his kids. He had them later in life and was afraid he wouldn’t be around long enough to give them the life advice he wanted to share. That was one of the reasons he started making videos: so his advice would be there for his children when they needed it.

And in that, he succeeded.

His content is still available—for example, here at the CRP Archive, where you can find 436 of his videos.

Imagine his kids knowing that, in a way, their dad is still around. Of course, they’d rather have him back for real. But having him live on as a sort of digital version is as close as you can get once someone is gone.

I’d love to do the same. When I die, I want to leave behind thousands of articles, hundreds of videos, and dozens of books. I want family, friends, and everyone else to be able to look me up whenever they want—to learn from my mistakes, my successes, and my ideas, to get inspired, to laugh, and to think.

RIP Gonzalo Lira.

Write Better Books | Read Better Stories

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I don’t consider myself the best writer in the world – though I should be number two, right behind J.R.R. Tolkien.

Jokes aside, I know a thing or two about writing well. And I’m always learning more about how to write better. Just yesterday, I stopped reading two books by authors I won’t name. I quit because both books bored me to death. They were written in a childish way, had characters I didn’t care about, and the plot went in an uninteresting direction.

Both books were bestsellers, written by big names in the industry. That means not only did millions of readers buy and enjoy them, but they were also edited by seasoned professionals.

Still, I didn’t like them – and I did something I rarely do: I didn’t finish the books.

Over the years, I’ve read thousands of books, more writing articles than I can count, and watched hours upon hours of YouTube videos from writers offering advice. Through all that, I developed a better writing style—and an eye for good writing. This eye made me stop reading the two bestsellers – they were simply not good enough for me anymore.

Looking at my early days of writing as a hobby, I’ve come a long way. Today, I sometimes laugh and sometimes cry at my first attempts at writing. The last pages I wrote yesterday, though, are good. Compared to the two bestsellers I quit on, they are awesome.

But what made me write better? And what made me realize bad writing?

I believe it’s simply reading as much as possible. Developing from writing badly to writing not so badly anymore is a process. Sure, writing every day helps. But consuming good writing is the main engine behind that progress.

If you want to write better too, I highly recommend reading better books – and also reading more. Over time, you’ll discover authors you love, genres you enjoy, and styles that resonate with you. Naturally, you’ll start imitating what you’ve read. You’ll “steal” what feels good to you and omit what is bad without even thinking about it – it just happens instinctively. Before you realize it, you’ll write something that makes you proud and let’s you boldly claim that it’s way better than this other author’s bestseller book that you couldn’t finish.

The best part of it? Doing it like that makes learning not feel like work—it actually feels like a lot of fun.

  • Athletes watch other athletes
  • Filmmakers watch films
  • Painters study classic art
  • Musicians listen to music
  • And writers learn by reading

I try to read as much as I can. On average, it’s a book and two to three comics/mangas every single week. I’ve also made it a habit to watch a movie or an episode of a show daily, to learn from that form of storytelling.

Of course, you still have to apply what you read by hammering your daily word count into the keyboard. Just reading without writing anything won’t make anyone a good writer. But if you only write and never read, there’s not much you could apply. Consuming stories exposes you to good and bad storytelling. And the more exposure you get, the more you can identify what’s good and what’s not.

So, the first rule of writing better books is simple: Read and watch better stories.

I Hit 10,000 Subscribers on YouTube

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Today I reached a big milestone on YouTube: 10,000 subscribers.
It only took me six years to get here—some makeup influencers manage that in six days. But hey, they say it’s about the journey, not the destination.

If you haven’t checked out my channel yet, it’s all about graphic design, photo and video editing, coding, and a bit of AI. I create tutorials for both Adobe and open-source programs, and I document my personal learning projects—like using AI to make comics or diving into new programming languages.

I remember exactly when I started: January 2019. I wanted to learn something new and maybe build a side income. I saw a few people on YouTube doing Photoshop tutorials and thought, why not? I could improve my Photoshop skills, practice speaking English, and pick up some video editing along the way.

Fast forward six years, my English has improved a lot, my Photoshop skills are bordering on advanced, and I’d say my video editing is at an intermediate level. I’ve also explored the world of AI, which was an unexpected but exciting bonus. And I’ve tried open-source alternatives to Adobe that I probably never would’ve looked at if I hadn’t started the channel.

As for the income stream… let’s just say there’s plenty of room for improvement. The money I make covers the cost of the software I use to make my videos and leaves a bit of spare change for books and vide games I rarely play.

Back when I started, I had high hopes: 1,000 subscribers in six months, 10,000 in a year, 100,000 in three, and eventually a million.

Yeah… not quite. Growth was slow and sometimes painfully so from day one. For a long time, nothing happened at all.

What kept me going was the fun and the drive to keep learning. That’s what’s kept me going for six years, and that’s what will keep me going for another six. I don’t really expect to ever hit a million subscribers—heck, even 100K seems far off—but I’m deeply grateful for everyone who joined the channel. Wherever it goes from here, I’m happy to find out without any expectations of hitting it big.

Thanks to everyone who’s subscribed—and welcome to those just jumping on board. Onwards to a full decade on YouTube.

The Idol – Season 1 Review

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This show was torn apart by critics and audiences alike. I tend to enjoy unusual films and series that most people can’t quite connect with, so I had to check it out for myself.

The Idol follows a pop singer (played by Lily-Rose Depp) who finds herself at a career crossroads after a public breakdown. She meets Tedros (The Weeknd), a mysterious nightclub manager and self-proclaimed guru who seemingly reignites her creative spark.

Critics described the show as “bordering on pornography” and lacking in substance. The explicit scenes were a bit much for me, too. They felt unnecessarily graphic, though not quite as extreme as some have made them out to be. Yes, Lily-Rose Depp wears revealing outfits and appears nude in several scenes that felt unnecessary, but it’s not accurate to say the show is solely about erotica.

What I do agree with is that the story lacks depth. And that’s a shame, because the premise is unique and had a lot of potential. The biggest letdown was the final twist—it wasn’t properly set up and left me with more questions than answers.

The strongest aspects of the series are the cinematography and the music, both of which are excellent.

With a better script, The Idol could have been fantastic. The concept and visual design are top-notch. The first two episodes are suspenseful and refreshingly different. Unfortunately, the later episodes derail everything with forced and unconvincing character developments. It’s a pity—this is exactly the kind of show I want to see, if only it had been written better.