Using Social Media Apps for Creative Output
Our Most Creative Work is that which is nagging us to get it done but we are afraid to do it. Welcome to the newsletter which helps unravel this idea every week.
Correct, Social Media is a Hot Garbage Dump
But this email is going to talk about how I use it to create a sense of communion with my work.
Because if we can think of our time here as one long school, going onto social gives us a glimpse into what other people are also learning. This started with storytelling in communities, and with the invention of the Printing Press, our collective voice grew and expanded and found ways of sticking around longer than ever.
Yet social is largely unfiltered. As we’re all aware, there is very little gatekeeping that goes on (aside from algorithmic display), and while this is concerning in many areas, the point of this message is to focus on the good that you can extract from this.
The Limits of Journaling
While I love to journal and it’s a big part of everything that I do, sharing my thoughts privately doesn’t really help form the ideas into anything. When I press them into something publicly, the thought becomes more of a theory or a tool for others to make use of.
A song idea on my portable recorder can be enjoyable to listen back to, but not until I commit it to Spotify am I really going through any real transformation.
So consider platforms and services that let you press your thoughts into something a bit larger, and see if you find any benefit from doing this.
Think About the Following Platforms
Instagram: Start a private account to explore a way of sharing certain photos or art. When you build some confidence around this idea, feel free to start sharing it with a good friend or colleague.
YouTube: An amazing place for being able to hone and refine your public speaking. You can create videos that chances are, won’t be viewed by many people, and you can keep uploading them to find what you enjoy talking about.
Threads: While X can serve as a good place to practice writing short posts, I find the post-Elon algorithm is too sensationalist. I am experimenting with this platform to write short ideas as you can see here.
TikTok: The highly addictive rabbit hole can offer great insight into what people are searching for in your area of focus. You will see all kinds of new ways of sharing around your area on TikTok that will one day spill over to the other platforms.
Soundcloud: Uploading a song to Spotify and Apple Music is a bit of a process, but using a simple platform like Soundcloud can help you share ideas much faster with less emotional baggage. A great place for sharing demos.
I hope you are willing to try out your ideas on platforms in this way. And just remember, you can always start a fresh account that no one sees while you build up your voice.
As you test out the ideas and get more comfortable sharing, you can start to level up to new platforms, like hosting your own podcast which grows on this idea.
At the end of the day, creative work gets better the more cracks we take at it. Our confidence grows as we try out new things. For this to happen we must embrace a playful, child-like approach to these tools and our work itself.
More Stuff to Check Out:
Next week, Jeff Fajans is hosting the free Creative Mornings workshop, Designing (and Sticking to) Effective Habits for Creative People on December 13th.
Ikea is innovating in the area of home sensors. What can you add to your offerings to help them keep up with technology?
Listen to The Most Creative Podcast on your Coffee Break (Spotify, Apple)
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