The Next Phase for Basilmentos.

Good morning, AGtube friends. It feels amazing to be back.

After a 3-year hiatus from video-making, today I've returned to YouTube with a stop-motion update on my dolls' life. Stepping back into stop-motion video-making after such a long break was a both a cathartic and nostalgic experience for me. It reminded me of all the late nights I spent filming, the numerous technical challenges, and the incredible reward of seeing a final video come together.

So much has changed in the past 3 years. I've settled into life as a young adult in a big city, with a nonprofit job I love and my partner, J, who I love even more. I've gotten really into cycling and rock climbing. I've made some amazing friends. I am very happy with my life, though I sometimes miss the online community and the sense of purpose that came with basilmentos. 

In the past 3 years, I felt very disconnected from basilmentos. In 2020, when I had to mark my YouTube videos as "for children" and the comments section disappeared, I lost a lot of motivation. For me, the comments on my videos showed me that real people out there were watching and appreciating the videos that I had put so much energy into. Without comments, I felt like I wouldn't be able to see the impact of my work anymore, and that made me deeply sad. But after I recently got back into my instagram and saw the comments flood in again, I felt a new wave of excitement and motivation to film. Thank you to everyone who supported me on social media and made me feel like I was part of something again.

As Lucia mentions in the video, my parents are retiring downsizing in the coming year. I have to sell some of my old doll stuff to make room. When I had to face this truth, I cried. It's so hard to let go of a piece of my past. But over the past few months, I've come to accept (and embrace) the fact that I can pass these pieces along to the next generation of creators. By selling my doll stuff publicly under my basilmentos name, I can rest assured that each piece is going to someone who understand and values the item's unique history. A couple of people have asked whether I will be selling my dolls, and the answer is yes, sort of. Some of my dolls have been with me for more than half of my life and they hold such a deep sentimental value that I could never part with them. But the others... I think it's best to let them find new, loving homes where they will be played with or used for videos regularly. It's doing them no good to sit in my closet untouched. 

If you are interested, you can check out my eBay for recent listings. For the next year, I am going to slowly pick through my collection and put furniture, clothes, and accessories up for sale. If there is a particular item you've seen in my videos that you would like to purchase, please comment below and it will help me prioritize my listings. :) Disclaimer: I will not sell everything, since some things are too sentimental to me to put on sale (so if you request a specific item, there are no guarantees). When I do put a doll up for sale, I will be sure to announce it on my instagram, so please keep an eye out there if you want to welcome a basilmentos sister into your doll family!

Thank you to each and every one of you for supporting me over the past decade and beyond. It's been such a joy to be part of this community and I am relishing reconnecting today. The best thing about AGtube always has been and always will be the community. I am not sure exactly what the future looks like but I know I will always hold AGtube in my heart.