Interview with Josh from Blimey Cow!

Hey Writers, Carilyn here, and we are thrilled to announce that today we are interviewing Josh, from Blimey Cow!! This interview was super fun, and thanks so much for doing this Josh! We really appreciate it!

Before we get started, can you tell us a little about yourself and BlimeyCow?

My name is Josh Taylor. My younger brother and I started making online videos under the name "Blimey Cow" when we were 14 and 17, respectively. Almost eight years later, we are still doing it, with the help of my wife Kelli and our sister Amy. We release at least one new video a week, and our most popular show is called "Messy Mondays." I am the primary writer for our content.

How did you first get the idea for doing BlimeyCow?

I have just always really enjoyed making videos. My siblings and I have been doing them for as long as I can remember. The start of "Blimey Cow" was really just the first time we decided to actually do it consistently. Not to mention, we started in 2005, which was right around the time that YouTube was created- so online video distribution was finally becoming viable. It was an exciting time.

Jordan, Kelli, and Josh

What is your goal in writing and producing videos and podcasts?

I enjoy having a creative outlet. Before I was writing videos consistently, I always had these random thoughts floating around in my head- jokes I wanted to use somewhere, or thoughts and ideas that intrigued me. Plus, I just enjoy getting people thinking outside of the box. I guess that's my ultimate goal with the video- getting people to think for themselves.

How long have you been writing? Did you always want to be a writer?

I've been writing for as long as I can remember, but I really never considered myself a writer at all. I always wrote short stories for my siblings to read when we were all really young, and then I wrote album reviews for a music website for most of my teenage years. And then we started Blimey Cow. So, I guess I'm a writer. I just never thought of it that way.

Oh yeah, you're totally a writer! And you do a great job...

How much research do you put into your scripts? What has been the weirdest thing you’ve researched?

My "research" is mostly just observing the world around me, as well as my own heart- trying to figure out why humans do the things we do and react the way we do to certain situations. I wouldn't call it "research," but occasionally I do look things up in regards to the kinds of things we talk about and jokes we make. For example, we did a video recently that made a joke about a GPS device that would help you avoid "bad neighborhoods." turns out it's actually a thing. Pretty sad.

How much involvement do family and friends have in the process of writing scripts for your videos?

Blimey Cow basically is the Taylor family- so they are crucial to its operations. As for friends, I have a really small but great circle of friends that helps me work out jokes. I know some really funny people.

When do you write? Do you have a regular schedule?

I write whenever inspiration strikes. Normally though, inspiration doesn't strike until a few hour before we are scheduled to shoot a video. I can't force myself to write if I'm not feeling it. That fact used to keep me stressed, but I have embraced it now.

Where do you get your inspiration? What keeps you motivated?

I just observe the world around me and try to figure it out.- and then I observe myself and wonder why I do the dumb stuff I do. A lot of our videos are born out of long walks I take wherein I just think about things that are going on in my life. I question my motives, actions, reactions, etc. to the situations surrounding me. Then I write a video about the (usually not-very-flattering) things that I discover about myself. It's cathartic and helpful to my growth as a human, in a weird way.

What is your favorite video that you’ve made?

Just on a personal level, I am really attached to one we did towards the end of 2012 called "I Pledge Blind Allegiance." It was basically a takedown of the Christian response to politics in America, and we released it the day before the US Presidential Election. I had been working on it for at least six months, and had really put my heart into it. It's the longest I have ever worked on a script and I'm just really happy with how it turned out. I don't even think its the best one we have made, but it's still my favorite.

(Carilyn's note: You can watch "I Pledge Blind Allegiance" below.)

If you could only share one piece of advice with aspiring script writers, what would it be?

Write what you know, and write about things that excite you.

Is there any part of writing that you don’t like?

Writer's block, and the feeling of being completely overwhelmed by a topic and having no idea how to tackle it.

How much influence does viewer comments/feedback have?

Quite a bit! We are kind of making this thing up as we go along, so we are really honored to have such a cool community that really believes in what we are doing and wants us to do well.

What is the hardest part about writing scripts? What is the easiest part?

The hardest part about writing scripts is probably just the initial "sitting down" and trying to focus. I have a hard time focusing. I don't think there is an easy part to writing, but that's what makes it fun. You feel really accomplished once you have something in front of you of which you are proud.

How does your real life interact/play a role in/interfere with your writing life?

Like I've said,  a lot of my writing inspiration comes from observing the world around me, so "real life" is like research.

What do you do when you’re not writing or making videos?

I really enjoy playing board games. I haven't had much time lately to play because of how time consuming Blimey Cow has become, but any chance I get, I love getting a game going.

What was your favorite book or author as a teen? What's your favorite now?

I have a really hard time sitting down and getting myself to read, unfortunately. I have tried over and over, but without much luck. I'm very thankful for audio books. But to answer the question, my favorite book growing up was "Holes" by Louis Sachar. I recently read "Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk and that was pretty thought-provoking. I also like books about politics and social systems- but I guess overall, I don't really have a favorite book anymore. I just enjoy good stories.

If you could have time travel abilities and could meet anyone from any time, who would you like to meet?

It's the most cliche answer of all time, but I want to meet Jesus and just listen to what He had to say.

Finally, where can people find more about BlimeyCow?

www.blimeycow.com

www.youtube.com/blimeycow

www.facebook.com/blimeycow

www.twitter.com/blimeycow

Thanks for doing this interview Josh! We are very excited to have you on here at YAWA!