Why DIY? 5 reasons to tackle that project

VO: Why DIY? It’s more than a way to finish a new project – it can also help you achieve your dreams. Here’s how, from your friends at American Family Insurance.

The letters “DIY” remain on screen, and expand to show “Do It Yourself” as the full title. A character under the title pops in and looks up at the title, smiling as we mention “wellbeing”.

VO: DIY projects, or Do It Yourself projects, aren’t just a great way to save money. They’re also extremely beneficial to your wellbeing, productivity and personal enrichment.

The title leaves, and instead the numbers 1 through 5 enter the screen. Our character looks at them, as they each quickly highlight in color, then resuming its original color. (As we go from one reason to the next in the video, each number will be again highlighted in a color, so we know where we are in the video).

VO: Let’s take a look at 5 reasons to start your own DIY project.

The numbers reduce in size and move to the top of the screen. The number 1 is highlighted.

VO: Boost your brainpower.

Our character takes the center of the frame, as icons of different “skills” pop up next to her. There’s a hammer icon, a paintbrush icon, a spray can icon, and a saw icon.

VO: Learning new skills, whether big or small, is a great way to gain knowledge.

We pan away from the character and the icons, and bring in three new illustrations - a phone, a tablet, and a laptop. On the phone, the youtube logo pops up. On the tablet, we see the logo for Today’s Homeowner, and on the laptop, the logo for Skillshare.

VO: And learning how to develop new skills has never been easier. You can keep it light with helpful how-to videos on platforms like YouTube or sites like Today’s Homeowner. Or explore your creativity with free classes at places like skillshare.com

The phone, tablet and laptop leave, as the number 2 is highlighted.

VO: Illuminate self-discovery.

We bring back our character. Through a thought bubble, she’s thinking about building a chair - we see a drawing of a chair, a saw, pieces of wood and paint.

VO: DIY projects can awaken natural talents we didn’t know we had, or inspire us to pursue a new personal passion.

Our character is now on a split screen, talking to a carpenter.

VO: If you have a friend or relative with a DIY skill that always intrigued you, give them a call and pick their brains.

We now see a pinterest interface on a tablet, with different types of chairs on it, as our characters scrolls through.

VO: If you’re looking to get inspired online, browse the endless ideas and projects on Pinterest with a simple search.

The tablet leaves and we are now highlighting the number 3.

VO: Bring out your best self.

Our character now starts happily sawing wood.

VO: A DIY project is a great way to keep both your body and mind active, which keeps you healthy and happy.

We see our character’s phone buzzing next to her. She ignores it and continues to saw.

VO: When you’re focused on a personal goal, you get to drown out the noise around you and discover your full potential while creating something all on your own.

We now pan to a journal, where we see the sketches our character made for the chair, several check marks are drawn around it to indicate what tasks she accomplished.

VO: Starting a dedicated journal will let you brainstorm, plan, and track your accomplishments in one place. It may even inspire you to create more DIY projects.

We pan away from the journal and highlight the number 4.

VO: Form richer relationships.

Our character now sits by a computer and opens a Facebook-like social media site.

VO: While you might be tackling your DIY project on your own, there are thousands of people out there who share your interest.

On the site, we see icons of other people talking about their own chairs in chat-like bubbles. Our character uploads a photo of her progress.

VO: Social media is the perfect place to chat about your projects and share them. Look for like-minded groups on Facebook, Reddit, Discord or other platforms. You might even start a new project with someone just as passionate as you are!

We leave the computer and highlight the number 5.

VO: Discover a newfound confidence.

Our character has finished her chair - she looks at it with admiration.

VO: When you learn to create something on your own, you’re not just less reliant on the services of others, you’re also gaining a sense of accomplishment and boosting your confidence.

We pan to the side to reveal our character now has a room dedicated to chair-making - tools hung on the wall, spray paint cans on a table, and several in-progress chairs on the floor.

VO: This could even inspire you to turn your new skill into a side gig or even a new career!

Our character now takes a seat on her new chair. Above her, we highlight the number again as we call out their corresponding reasons.

VO: As you can see, DIY projects can be a great source of happiness, allowing you to learn a skill, cultivate a talent, keep yourself active, form new relationships, and boost your confidence! Not to mention, you get to keep your dream creation.

We end on the AmFam logo and the URL.

VO: And don’t forget, American Family Insurance is here to support your dreams, whether they’re DIY or not. See more ways we’re here to support your dreams at AmFam.com