Always Create to Create
What started as an, "I don't know what to say," article turned into 3 implementable tips to finally start creating to create without losing business.
It’s 5:31pm, and I have not left my couch since 6:30am except to bring my Uber Eats inside…and to switch couches.
Some gnarly head cold put me in a headlock a couple of nights ago and hasn't let go. Primarily, my throat is scratching, my chest is heavy, and my head feels like a slowly but surely deflating balloon.
Feeling unwell + my husband not being home my vibe is UGH, GROSS altogether. Thankfully, Tigger, Topanga, and Tucker have faithfully snuggled with me all day as well. If I’m sick, we’re all sick, and I greatly appreciate the loyalty.
*I have sneezed 3 times since starting this.* *Update: 5 times.*
I keep typing a sentence and deleting it. Typing and deleting, typing and deleting, typing and deleting. Today, I am just not feeling it - the whole just write thing. And I preach this, ya know…just write.
I don’t know what to say today, but I know I am a writer, so I am writing.
I don’t know if this episode is ‘good enough’ to share with the world, but I am a writer who wants to be read, so I am publishing this article anyway.
Thought: I read a post about blogging by Neil Patel today that read, “Don’t create content for the sake of creating it.”
While Patel was speaking directly to bloggers, and your blog content should be published with a great SEO strategy, I disagree with this statement as a whole…like to the depths of my soul.
Always create for the sake of creating.
(I’m doing the thing again where I type a line, delete, type, delete, type…delete.)
I feel it’s necessary to clarify again: do not create blog content for the sake of creating blog content. The “rule” from Patel was merely what sparked this thought from me.
But in a social media world where everyone can find their (at least) 5 minutes of fame and we all want to be $100k/month creators…
We’re creating for all the wrong reasons. For an algorithm. A brand. A dollar. A deal. A platform ready to ban us. A platform with a million others fighting for their 5 minutes, too.
And this isn’t bad. Trust me, I love my own slice of social media far too much, too. What I’m offering here is that we go back to creating simply to create.
Do you remember Tumblr? MySpace? Jenna Marbles YouTube era? What about Vine? The beginning of TikTok?
These spaces POPPED OFF solely from creating. Sure, they’re ways we connect…
But all of these were foundationally built on creating. On writing, coding, sharing, entertaining, teaching.
During beginning of TikTok, for example, no one knew the algorithm, the algorithm didn’t even know the algorithm. It was being built. This is an example of when we were creating simply to create.
Artists, musicians, comedians, authors, and vloggers have seen so much success with this app, especially in its early season, because they created, through what they already loved doing, just to create it. Just to play the song. Just to show the painting. Just to share their writing process. Just to share their day.
It’s always been about the clicks, yes, because we’re addicted to the dopamine of seeing “New Follower” and “New Like” or the adrenaline of wondering if the “New Comment” is an encouraging sentence or hateful drag.
But creating hasn’t always been about the clicks.
It used to be about creating.
Then, you built a strategy around getting the clicks.
What if we went back to creating just to create?
I’m not telling you to drop all strategy. You know your strategy is working. Keep following your strategy.
And also, add in time to create just to create.
If you’re like, “Girl, I am way too busy to ADD time for no-benefit creating. Keep it profitably or keep it moving,” I want you to know, firstly, that creating just to create is profiting you so much more than you’ll realize, until you do it for awhile, fall off, then see how much joy (and most likely money) it was adding.
Secondly, to give you an easy entry into creating just to create (because different is hard, I get it), here are a few ways to create just to create…and then apply it to your business:
Spend 30 minutes each day for one week just creating. Maybe this is doodling, painting, writing, playing music…create. Then, on day seven, write about your experience. Share it with your community. Find a tie-in to lightly invite them to your offer. (I guarantee you there is one.)
Record yourself doing a new hobby, skill, or craft you’ve been saying, “Oh, if I only had the time!” Add it to your IG stories with a “Reminder: OFFER” link. (Yes, it can be this easy if you let it be this easy.)
Take a class. Do not record anything. Dig into your life, love. Pottery, paint nights, writing hours, glass blowing, guitar…take a class with no other goal than to learn 1% of something new! The dare, here, is to not share about it at all. Not on your stories, not as a storytelling email, or a “fun fact” introduction. This is just for you. Now, before you take this class, you are going to create your content for the day AND the next day. Write your email, create your Canva posts, record the reel. In your content, you will sell to your offer. This means you can take a guilt-free class because business is done for the day!
Okay, I love you.
I’m proud of you for choosing to create simply for the point of creating.
I hope you decide to come back around and share some of your creations with me. <3
Thanks for sticking through this article. She was a rough start, and I thought about editing over this for a more polished published post…but, no. You get all of me tonight. You’re welcome.
Talk soon,
Jess
P.S. I only sneezed one additional time while writing this. Win.
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