On Monday morning I woke up and naturally checked Instagram for no good reason before getting started on a day full of Instagrams and tweets and Facebook posts and blog editing for my freelance projects. (Much more than with my own brand, my work always has specific goals—and I know that means more, more, more. More follows, more likes, more credibility, more fans; you name it, the people I work with or for—and by extension me—want more. And of course, it makes sense.) One of the accounts I follow posted this quote: Try to divorce being creative from being adored.
They were relating it specifically to likes and follows, so instantly, I could relate. I mean, do you ever do something for your blog or social media, and then take a step back and wonder whether you were really doing it because you wanted to do it, or because you thought other people would want to see it? It’s always nice when those align, but they certainly don’t all the time. On my personal Insta, I get more likes when I post something crafty than when I post nature photos, despite the fact that I feel compelled to post about nature more often (side note, my friend has the opposite problem!). So if I want to grow my account, I know that there are certain things I need to add more of, and naturally, omit.
I’ll be honest. Sometimes I am posting something or working on a project because I know it’s what people would want to see. Sometimes it’s not for my blog, but another outlet. Everyone has a different audience and one of the first things you’ll see in a sea of blogging advice is that you should cater to the audience (either what it is or what you want it to be). In order to build a brand and get yourself and your passion out there, you need to be able to create something, but also you need people to see it. So there’s overlap. I want people to see me for the creative person I am, so I have to push to get that out there. To some extent this is how it goes for anyone trying to make a name for themselves. I think it may be the definition of hustle.
But personally I think that can be a bit dangerous. (Not the hustling. Hustling is good). This working for the end result. Falling into a groove, as much as I try to get there with each project, can be a little detrimental. You can end up pushing yourself to make something that will get you “adored” instead of pushing yourself to simply create something new. You can end up missing out on everything you did to get to a certain point.
As far as blogging goes, I think to a certain extent we all need to consider the “adored” part. If we want our work to be successful, we need to have a few fans, you know? But when I saw that quote, I thought about how those are two different things. Success and the process are separate. It’s nice to be recognized for our work, especially when it’s something we love doing. But I like to think that without followers on our photos or readers on our blogs we’d still take pictures and we’d still write. I know it’s at least true for me, though it’s easy to forget that.
It’s important to make sure my Instagram has enough craft projects to get my name out there—insert any project you’ve done just because you know it would help promote your work. (And don’t read too into that example; I love DIY and so does my audience, so it makes sense.) But when I remember that it’s only a numbers game to the people who are also playing, and not to the people who really, truly appreciate what I do, I become more motivated to join the conversation and be a part of a creative community, which is a big reason I started writing and we started this blog anyway.
Okay, enough rambling. We have a lot of fun things coming up, like more tutorials and resources, and I just felt like I needed to think about the process of creation a little more! Can you relate?
Rania says
This is a great post. I agree with this feeling. Also, love the graphic in this post!
Angela says
Thanks! Jenn made such a great graphic!
Alyssa J Freitas says
This is such a great point! I find myself wishing that I could be the creator of what everyone wants to see, but when you start with making yourself happy you’ll attract the right audience
Alyssa J Freitas
Angela says
That’s so true.
Maritza says
LOVE this… I think I found my new mantra :)
Jo Kay says
This is a great post and really interesting, its easy to get swept up in posting what you think people want to see and not what you feel passionate about!
http://www.ajourneywithjo.com
Marianne says
Ah yes, as soon as I saw this quote, I could totally relate. Thanks for bringing me back down to earth and reminding me that it’s about the creativity. And most likely if you focus on that more, the likes and follows will just some naturally anyway.
Angela says
I agree–I think people see that you’re showing your authentic self. But it’s so easy to get caught up!
Cat says
I recently got rid of my Bloglovin counter on my blog and replaced it with a simple ‘Follow on Bloglovin’ button, purely because I found myself checking it daily and being disheartened when I saw someone had un followed. I always have it in my head that the numbers don’t matter, but sometimes I realise that I’ve made it a habit to constantly check how many followers I have, even though it doesn’t really matter to the content I’m creating!
Cat x
Angela says
I’ve been doing that with Instagram. It’s so easy to make things about numbers. It CAN be about that later on, but it’s never ever a life or death thing when it comes to losing a follower! Hard to remember!