Life30:Part2-Putting Creativity First: How to Make Better Content without Stressing Over Results
This article is mainly written in context of content creators but the principles also apply to other career fields as well.
In the digital age, where distractions are everywhere and engagement metrics reign supreme, content creators find themselves caught in a paradox. On one hand, there's pressure to produce quality content, while on the other, the relentless pursuit of likes, shares, and followers threatens to overshadow creativity and authenticity. We have probably heard that it's important to focus on creating stuff rather than just consuming it all the time. Well, that's true. But here's the thing: we also need to chill out about how many likes or followers our content gets.
The Problem with Chasing Likes
You know those little heart icons and follower counts we obsess over? Yeah, they can mess with our heads. When we're too busy trying to get more likes or followers, we end up copying what's already popular instead of coming up with our own cool ideas. And guess what? People like stuff that's unique and different, not just more of the same old thing.
As a content creator it is important to shift from content consumption mindset to content building mindset i.e. it has become important to spend time in building good quality content by staying away from distractions.
And it’s also equally important to stay away from obsessing over user engagement metrics.
This also applies to general social media usage. When we upload any content or update status it’s important to not stress over the engagement we get on this posts.
The likes, shares, followers and other factors which we obsessively chase become the very factor stopping us from creating genuine content. If we start creating content with sole intent of going viral by following popular content on the internet or replicating what other popular creators in the space are doing, then it takes away our own ability to innovate and put forth unique content in front of people.
People like content which is unique, new and different from existing content. To create such content, our mind not only needs to be free from distractions but also from the desire of getting engagement on content like likes and followers.
When we generally post any form of content on Instagram our first inclination is to see the likes, views and comments repeatedly. This is a negative feedback loop which trains our mind to get obsessed with getting more of this metrics. As a content creator this inclinations or desires are even more because we constantly try to see whether our content is performing well with the audience and we eventually start tailoring our content or replicating other's content creators strategies to get more of this engagement.
I have personally done this a lot of times and have gotten obsessed with returns on my investment of time and efforts spent in content creation. This is perfectly fine to some extent, however in the long run this negatively impacts our minds natural ability to think critically about the problems in hand and coming up with good solutions and genuine ideas.
In other career fields as well, if we stress over the results or the yearly hikes and bonuses, then we lose out on bringing up genuine innovative work which can lead to long term career growth.
The Importance of Creating for Creation's Sake
"Creativity is intelligence having fun." That's a quote from Albert Einstein, one of the smartest folks around. And he's onto something. When we create just for the sake of creating, without worrying about the outcome, that's when we tap into our true creative potential. It's not about the likes or shares; it's about the joy of making something from nothing.
In ancient Indian mythology there's a saying that while performing the action don’t have desire towards about the outcome, thinking about the result will only degrade the action's quality and may even lead you to failure.
That's true for content creation field as well.
Moving Forward with Purpose
With only 24 hours in a day, time is a precious commodity. Instead of fixating on future gains or brand following, content creators must channel their energy towards solving meaningful problems, executing ideas, and positively impacting others without thinking about whether this idea will bring us future gains or increase our brand following.
Be creation obsessed rather than being result obsessed as far as possible. The right actions, done at right time bring positive results in the long run for sure. In simpler words when we put our energy into solving real problems and being genuinely helpful, good things tend to happen naturally.
Learning from Others While Staying True to Ourselves
Sure, it's okay to take inspiration from others. After all, creativity thrives on collaboration and exchange of ideas. But let's not fall into the trap of copying someone else's style or content just because it's popular. As author Austin Kleon famously said, "Steal like an artist, but don't copy." Let's put our own spin on things and create content that's uniquely ours.
Finding Balance in the Digital Noise
In a world where everyone is vying for attention, it’s easy to get lost in the noise. And here’s a fun fact: did you know that only about 1% of content on the internet gets significant engagement? Yep, that’s right. So instead of worrying about going viral, let’s focus on creating meaningful content that resonates with our audience, even if it’s on a smaller scale.
Conclusion
So, here’s the deal: let’s stop stressing about likes and followers and start focusing on what really matters—creating awesome stuff that people love. By shifting our focus from outcome to process, we reclaim our creative autonomy and pave the way for genuine connection and lasting impact.
When we put our creativity first and worry less about the numbers, that’s when the magic happens. Let’s keep making cool stuff and having fun along the way. Here’s to making our mark, one authentic creation at a time.
This is part of an ebook I am planning to release sometime in the future. If you found this article insightful in some way then consider subscribing to my medium profile. Once the book gets released, I will personally send you an email about the book release.
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