If You Want to Be a Content Creator You Better Get Ready for a Love / Hate Relationship

Are you really ready to be the villain in someone’s story?

I’ve been a working (paid) content creator longer than most in the current economy. Starting my journey with blogging in 2017, I built up into a successful content creator across several platforms by 2023. Now, I have more than 130K fans and followers across Medium, Newsbreak, TikTok, Instagram, and others. It’s taught me a couple of things.

Without a doubt, one of the most important things I’ve learned is how to find balance in the love/hate game that comes with being a successful content creator.

Far from the “bright lights” of viral videos and overnight platforms, being a content creator is a game of loving what you do and hating the journey to getting there (at times). It’s not easy. There are a lot of tumbles and a lot of fails that you have to take along the way. In the end, you have to ask yourself…why?

There’s an art to it, and there’s a strategy too. Do you have what it takes to become a content creator in 2024? Not if you can’t find the balance in yourself and the work it takes to get there inside and out.

Why does content creation become a love/hate game?

The fantasy isn’t the reality, however.

It doesn’t matter what kind of content you create or what kind of creative you are. If you are putting yourself out there you’re going to get caught up in the love/hate game that all content creators find themselves in.

Darling one moment, despised the next, there are so many factors at play when it comes to facing yourself and facing the audiences you create.

There are essentially two sides to this process — the side of self, and the public side. Without the right approach in one, the other becomes a feat too great to bear. If you want to become a successful writer, content creator, or creative of any sort, you have to make peace with the love-hate dynamics within and without.

Dealing with perception

What’s not talked about enough in the world of content creation strategy is the battles that have to be overcome. Sure, we talk about audiences (as we will below) but we don’t talk a lot about the interior battles. We make things look easy, but in truth you have to wage a war against yourself to be a successful content creator.

The war I’m talking about specifically is the war of perception.

To be heard by the world, you have to be okay with being seen by the world. All of the world. That means the good people and the bad people, the people you want to reach and the people you don’t.

Here’s the real kicker: you can’t control how they see you.

That’s the real rub about perception. You can only control how you see yourself. You can’t control how other people see you (or choose to see you). They are going to be influenced by their own emotions, experiences, and beliefs. You can’t change or even influence that — even if you have the illusion of control.

To accept that, you have to deal with yourself, your perception of self, and the frustration that you will inevitably feel at times with the process. You can’t give up because you’re afraid of being seen, or afraid of not being liked. In a way, you have to teach yourself that it’s safe and good to be both accepted and disliked, and that it doesn’t take away from the person you really are.

When you boil it all down, it comes to this. You have to love yourself enough to tolerate the hate.

An audience on fire

If dealing with yourself is the most subtle consequence of becoming a content creator, then dealing with your audience is the most obvious one. That’s where a big part of the love/hate relationship comes from. A lot of people become content creators thinking about the fans they will accrue, but they don’t spend enough time thinking about the haters.

People online are going to hate you. It doesn’t matter what you say, how well you say it, or whether it’s right or wrong. We’re living through a stressful time, and people are more inclined to take out their emotions online.

You’re going to be a lightening rod for that as a content creator. It’s an inevitability that can be neither denied nor avoided.

But…

You will meet a lot of incredible people along the way, too. People who see the world the way you do. Who understand where you’re coming from, or who challenge you to grow (in a kind and instructive way).

Do it right and you can build an incredible community of human beings around yourself. These people will genuinely care about you and genuinely want to see the best in you and what you do. That’s invaluable, and it will go a long way in overcoming the hate from miserable people who want to intentionally misunderstand you.

How do you deal with the push-pull dynamics of content creation?

If that seems intimidating, good. It should be. Content creation isn’t for the weak or the thin-skinned. You have to be able to take some serious hits and keep on creating, come hell or high water. That’s a lot to deal with, and most people don’t have that skillset. Let’s say that you do. How are you going to deal with the push-pull dynamics of content creation?

Here’s what I’ve learned while building a platform of more than 137K followers:

Get comfortable being perceived: Before you can do anything as a content creator (successfully) you have to get comfortable with being perceived. That means both good and bad. Everyone isn’t going to like you. Some people will hate you on sight. You have to be okay with both to deliver an effective message to anyone.
Give yourself some consistency: Yes, some content creators explode overnight. That’s the name of the game, but the iceberg effect is at play here. There is a lot of work that goes into setting up the groundwork of a successful content creation “hustle”. That includes consistently showing up, creating, and putting yourself out there…even when it feels like no one is listening.
Get into the swing of being balanced: While consistency and hard work are a part of the puzzle, they can’t be the only approach. You need balance. That means finding the line between going all in and keeping something back for yourself. You need time off, you need time to decompress and enjoy yourself. This work isn’t for the weak. Your battery will need to be recharged.

If you can get into the hang of the above, and add a dose of passion and strategy, you’re well on your way to creating a successful content creation pathway for yourself. You’ve got to keep the end goal in sight. Who are you doing this for and why?

That why will get you every time…

If you want to be a content creator because you think it will be nice to wake up to fans and followers — think again. If you think it’s an automatic path to riches, or that you’ll become a viral star after a post or t — again, rethink your entire philosophy.

Becoming a successful content creator is work. Not Keeping Up With the Kardashians. It’s real work that will take a toll on you psychologically and physically.

But the payoff? If you have the right “why” and find your stride and your balance, that payoff can be a powerful dose of freedom and self-control. Who doesn’t want a little more of that in a world spinning so wildly out of control?

Want to learn more about setting out on your creative journey with content? Join my free live workshop happening Thursday, February 22, @ 12PM ET. Details here.

I’m a writer, artist, coach, and podcaster with a penchant for fresh bread and an addiction to all things historical. To learn more about me, click here. To support my writing, please check out my Substack.