A Front-Row Seat: The Shift From Being a Consumer of Social Media to a Creator

Two powerful myths that kept me from getting started as a Content Creator.

Ah, the armchair critic! It is the discerning portion of the audience who intimately understands their platform and feels deeply embedded within the zeitgeist. They are the true connoisseur of content with enlightened personal tastes relying on the recommendation algorithm to find undiscovered creators. If you’re like me, you’ve watched countless up-and-comers who express unique viewpoints that speak to something within us. Inspiration swells like the crescendo of a movie score as their viewership rises. And it’s a joy to cheer for our heroes and be proud to be a very tiny part of their success.

And like most inspired audience members leaving bright-eyed from a movie with a happy ending, I have always wanted a similar success story. I would often think to myself, “Wow I wish I could do that!” as I sat on the sidelines like the shy, awkward teenager at their first school dance too self-conscious to step out onto the dance floor. I’ve sat at the edge of my seat just wishing for the courage to hop on stage. And after a horrifying train ride gave me the push I needed to chase my dreams, I took fingers to keyboard, only to muse at a blank screen and be met with writer's block.

But after publishing my first few posts and getting familiar with the platform, I have advice I wish I could give the dreamer in me years back too afraid to step into the limelight.

You only see a fraction of the process

You only see the small tip of a metaphorical iceberg peaking from the water’s depths. There are probably creators out there who step into their chosen medium and create thought-provoking content with ease. I am definitely not one of them. I’d wager to say most do not. As a viewer, I only saw a very small part of a creator’s process, but you don’t truly feel it until you start. And it’s very easy to get discouraged when the act of creating content does not match your expectations for creating content.

I adore the part of socializing with other creators and feeling the achievement of pressing the publish button. Those are the fun parts. But the reality also includes:

• Wracking your brain for topics to write about
• Sitting with discomfort and worry that your content isn’t going to be any good
• Checking the very few views you can get and looking up the latest “Get a million followers in two minutes” article, but ultimately choosing not to follow it!
• Staring at the ceiling wondering how to phrase things
• Editing … editing … and more editing
• Finally getting the courage to press the publish button after staring at it for a few minutes

Where’s the blissful flow that enables me to serenely write thousands of articles with ease? While I know that’s unreasonable because so few creators put out a behind-the-scenes look at their process, it’s hard to set expectations. The creative process is messy and iterative. So, please don’t feel alone if you’re struggling. It’s also important to remember that creators often portray a carefully curated representation of their process, and it’s not always reflective of the struggles they may have faced. It is easy to imagine that everyone else is having an easier time and I’m uniquely bad at content generation.

Rest assured, if you’re reading this you’re absolutely not. And just for context, it can take me several hours from start to finish to follow the steps outlines. Again, if I hadn’t had my brush with death, I probably would have given up because I wasn’t a “natural”.

Self-Doubt is not a reason to not try

I assumed there would be a moment when I finally felt confident. And I would finally post my first article with only some minor self-doubt. I wish I could go back in time and tell myself that moment never comes, and you have to act regardless of your fears.

Publishing your first post is a daunting task, and it’s natural to feel a mix of excitement, fear, and uncertainty. Honestly, pressing publish on my first article involved me closing my eyes and just pressing go. There was never a moment where I felt confident and self-assured to get started. It takes courage to press that publish button, to take that leap of faith, but that crucial first step is the hardest. And every post after that has been far easier for me.

The thoughts really holding me back were:

1. I will make a fool out of myself.
2. No one will read what I write!

It’s important to realize that these can’t both be true.

You’ll make a fool out of yourself

If no one has seen your work, there is no one to judge you. And initially, believe me, no one sees what you write at first! The person you do have to be concerned about judging you is you!

While I don’t know of any magic to let insecurity fall away, I do know that action bolsters confidence rather quickly. And as I continued to write and press the publish button, the less I worried about being judged. Another thing you can do is comment and clap on other people’s articles who are similar in style and follower size to your own. They’re very likely to follow back and offer encouragement. And outside encouragement is highly motivating. Think of it as finding your tribe. You’re looking for like-spirited creators you would enjoy reading. This can help both with finding your voice and improving confidence.

No one will read your work

The second point misses how motivating any progress forward truly is. My first published article before anyone had even read a word felt like a huge accomplishment. I couldn’t have been prouder of myself just for taking the leap. Then when the number of followers I had jumped from 0 to 2 or my view count on my first article moved from 2 to 7, I was absolutely elated!

This is something that is very hard to understand until you get started. As an audience member, I was only impressed by creators with huge following counts. Thinking that if I didn’t have a similar size, I’d feel demotivated until I got to where they were. But I’ve since learned that it’s really a matter of relative forward progress. I’m still very early on in my journey, but every milestone is savored and gives me confidence and drive to keep trying.

I hope you too will keep going. And if you’re an audience member with dreams of one day becoming a creator, just start! Don’t wait years like I did!