2 minute read
I’m creating blog posts to help others. I want to get the information to as many people as possible. A big part of this is simply sharing consistently. If people appreciate your content they will come back for more.
I was recommended Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon. My biggest takeaway is to take the plunge and share my work. Below are some quotes/ideas from the book and my thoughts:
- Scenius – the idea that great ideas are often born out of a group of creatives – sharing with each other to form an “ecology of talent”. Working off each other, supporting and even stealing ideas from one another. The FI movement’s dramatic rise over the last 5 years is an example of scenius. So many content creators: bloggers, podcasters and youtubers. There’s room for all.
- “In this day and age, if your work isn’t online, it doesn’t exist… If you want people to know about what you do and the things you care about, you have to share.” – How many people do you connect closely enough with for them to know your true passions? Posting online can get your interests out to much wider audiences.
- “The beauty of owning your own turf is that you do whatever you want with it. Your domain name is your domain. You don’t have to make compromises. Build a good domain name, keep it clean, and eventually it will be its own currency. Whether people show up or they don’t, you’re out there, doing your own thing, ready whenever they are.” – This resonates with me. I will continue to pursue my interests – releasing content. If people appreciate it, great, if they don’t, that’s ok too, I enjoy writing for the sake of writing.
- Meetups – an online community throwing a party at a bar or restaurant and inviting everybody to show up at a certain place and time – the digital world collides with the physical world. Using the internet’s wide net to gather people of similar interests fosters community and relationships.
- “Compulsive avoidance of embarassment is a form of suicide. If you spend your life avoiding vulnerability, you and your work will never truly connect with other people.” – Vulnerability is hard. We construct a mental fear of sharing. Only when we open up, can we truly get close to others. If we stay surface-level, so will our relationships.
- “The people who sign up for your list will be some of your biggest supporters, just by the simple fact that they signed up for the potential to be spammed by you. Don’t betray their trust and don’t push your luck. Build your list and treat it with respect. It will come in handy.” – I will always cherish subscribers and respect their trust. So if you’re reading this and enjoy the content, sign up on my site to get notified when new posts drop.
- “Go online and post what you’re working on right now with the tag #showyourwork.” – A good way to close the book. With motivation to just get on with it, regardless of if I have the perfect strategy for social media sharing.
Closing thought:
- With each day that passes our digital lives grow more closely merged with our physical lives. Your online persona is important. Just like what you do in the real world informs your reputation, so does your online creation inform your digital reputation.
