I’m listing to this Dan Milnor podcast where he mentions how social media is about “conning people into believing something most often you are not”.
It’s an interesting quote that requires some thought but then he continues:
“My suggestion is to disconnect and drop out for two years. Two years, [to go and] learn how to make something good. Something unique. […] two years of not sharing, not talking to people about your work 24/7. Two years of not looking at work online 24/7. Of not looking at what an algorithm is telling you to do and say and believe.
Because otherwise you are not building an actual following of people. You are doing it again, you are conning yourself this time into thinking you [know] what you’re doing. […] If you’ve been doing nothing but making work that’s popular on Instagram, you’re not good enough to build a following on your own.
It takes more time and effort [for people] to engage on your platform. […]If you’re not making something good, they will not come and they will not stay.”
Okay so now I’m thinking about quitting Instagram. At least for a while. It’s a thought I’ve had a for a while but these words by Dan have affirmed my stance even more. Who knows, maybe I should just forget about everybody else and learn who I actually am. Without the distraction of these platforms.
Anyway, this doesn’t change my plans that much at all. I just continue building on my own website, I continue working on my newsletter and I continue trying to make actual good work.