Stop doing things you hate doing
Instead, build a foundation of great people in your orbit
When do we stop doing things we hate for people who don't care and start doing things we love for people who already love what we do?
“God, I hate posting on social media.”
”Making content for social media is so draining.”
”All the time I spend on social media promoting my work feels like such waste of time.”
We have people right in front of us - digitally, and in real life. Imagine if we spent our time and energy on them, instead of spinning our wheels on social media trying to impress everyone and no one?
Like
says in ‘The hard truths of content creation” (emphasis mine):“The community that I have grown online are the reason that I continue to do what I do. Their thoughtful messages and comments can lift me even on a bad day. I recognise the names that come back again and again and I’m so grateful for them.
I intend to continue to prioritise nurturing these existing relationships as opposed to solely focusing on attracting new people.”
Growing relationships isn’t just about subscribers or “fans,” either. It’s about the entire community that exists in the little world around us.
In the music world, this could include producers, label owners, painters who make album art, effects pedal makers, and/or the local record shop owner.
So instead of posting for “everyone” and hoping to get discovered, we build a foundation of great people in our orbit with intention. That community is how we’re going to untangle ourselves from the social media / creator economy shit show.
As
wrote, “The creative status quo has made us lonely content machines” (read the whole thing from their New Creative Era booklet).Our individual Social Media Escape Plan gains momentum in backyards, and on Zoom calls with other creative spirits, without algorithims.
Let’s go.
THIS IS YOUR INVITE:
ESCAPE POD #015
Join me and other creative folks on Wednesday, August 28, at 12:30 PM (sign up here), for a discussion of FOMO and how social media companies tie us all into their ecosystem, making it difficult to walk away (and whatever else we hit upon)!
It’s FREE, but donations are lovingly accepted.
Got questions? hey@sethw.xyz
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this is excellent advice. i tried doing tiktok and hated dealing with the comments, so i couldn't sustain it. yet I love interacting here on substack and look forward to reading other's writings and sharing my own
Its kind of weird that we rather spend all our energy on something we hate, than on things we love.