I know a ton of artists, writers, and musicians, and all of them are afraid of appearances. They feel their project isn’t ready for anyone to see, that it has too many mistakes. They think everyone is going to judge them harshly for whatever they’ve created. Have you ever felt this way?
No one is looking
What if I told you that all the little imperfections you see will never be noticed? As a matter of fact, even if you knock it out of the park with your project or creation, it’s still not going to get seen by most people. That’s just the name of the game. Where would anyone ever see your creation? Social media, you say? If your work gets noticed on social media, it’s probably only through passive doom scrolling. People glance at it, and if you’re lucky, you get a like. If you’re extra lucky, maybe a comment. And the rarest of the rare: the coveted share. Then they scroll on to see what the latest drama between Jimmy and Janet is. Listen, it’s hard to compete with Jimmy and Janet’s train wreck—but don’t feel bad about it!
Even if your creation goes viral, it still gets very little attention in the grand scheme of things. Think about it. If your creation gets 4 million views, that’s still only 0.05% of the global population. That means the bulk of humanity will never see what you’ve done.
The Totobiegosode tribe of the Amazon numbers about a hundred people. They don’t know what the internet is. They’ve never seen anything Leonardo da Vinci created. “Hawk tuah, girl” means absolutely nothing to them—unless, by some mere coincidence, “hawk tuah” happens to mean something in their language. That tribe of 100 people most likely only do things relevant to their own group of 100. As a creator maybe that’s a direction to look towards.
Why that’s a wonderful thing.
If you’re not reaching anyone, that’s nothing to worry about. The lack of viewership means no one is going to see that mistake you perceived. It’s not the end of the world if your project doesn’t meet your expectations. The people who are liking, commenting, and sharing are your Amazon tribe of 100.
A creation should be for the creator. Create because you like creating, not because you think strange internet weirdos will boost you to the top of some imaginary leaderboard. Who wants that? I don’t see the point in being the flavor of the month. Personally, I’d rather be my own unique flavor—an acquired taste. The people who acquire that taste are the ones who become your diehard fans. And if there are only six of them, that’s wonderful! You’ve got six people who truly appreciate what you do, and they’ll be thrilled to see what’s next.
When was the last time you created something just for you?
Can you even answer that question? When was the last time you produced something that wasn’t chasing a like, follow, or share? Over the last several years, chasing validation has become a staple of social media culture. I get it—the dopamine hit is powerful. But you should receive more dopamine from the act of creating itself, not from chasing elusive online interactions.
Personally, I view most online interactions as window shopping. People see it, think their thoughts, and move on. Of course, your diehard fans might do the same, but they’ll spend a moment looking through the window and come into the store to browse your other creations. Focusing on the window shoppers is fine, but let’s give a little extra attention to the people actually coming through the door. Let’s take care of your tribe of 100.
Go make something for you!
Be sure and check out our socials! Reddit, Facebook, Instagram. Cavalletto Magazine Homepage
Editor and Chief, Cavalletto Magazine
Owner And Operator of Burton Media Group
Christopher Burton is a acclaimed Photographer and has appeared in many shows, galleries, and publications over the years.