Dear reader,
I hope you had wonderful celebrations of the new year, and I hope you will also continue to march ahead in your creative journeys.
It's been 2 years that I chose to be an independent creator, and I am still figuring out ways to earn from it. Some ideas worked, some were lessons, and there are some ideas I haven't tested yet.
Today I want to share with you a glimpse of my learnings so you can better optimise your creative journey. So without further adieu, here they are:
#1 Planned and unplanned content
The majority of the work in 2020 was unplanned content. I wrote things, I drew, I made a few comics, and I initiated a few video series and ebook ideas.
Next year, in 2021, I was clear that I had to publish my ebook - Colour Theory, An Intuitive Guide and I completed the GIMP tutorial series. I also published Haze, though it wasn't part of the plan. I started my newsletter which was also an unplanned activity. All of this, along with the usual painting and comics I made.
The biggest change however came towards the end of 2021 when I reflected on the content I had created, and realised that though at an overall level I can plan, things will crop up unplanned and yield results for good. This was also the time when I took feedbacks from people and improved my blog's look and feel, although there are still segments which need improvement.
All I am saying is that a year is a long time, and there are 300+ days of opportunities to do things. Some days are going to suck, some days will probably bring in unexpected results. The point is to think it through, and give it your all.
Making planned content will bring in more discipline in your life, unplanned ones will probably make your experience less boring.
#2 Domestic and international audience
Any creator is bound to reach her/his local audience first. It typically starts with a few friends and family members sharing/promoting your work to give you a thrust for your online existence.
However, I believe that an initial local reach shouldn't limit a creator to local audience. Depending on what you create - physical vs digital products, an international audience in mind keeps you in your game for the long run.
With this, you also gain a perspective about domestic and international transactions, and about the platforms which ease the process of selling products, receiving donations, and more.
#3 Exploration and authenticity
Creating something is a deeply personal experience. People who admire or follow your work are either looking for relatability or information.
Irrespective of what you cater, ensure that it doesn't stray away from your authentic self. It is fine if you only want to create relatable/common content, just like it is fine to pick something super obscure and share it with the world. No matter what you pic to share, ensure that it speaks to you first before you expect that it speaks to your audience.
With that I would be closing the first newsletter of 2022. I didn't want to write something heavy. Informational content with latest changes in creator economy or the platform changes I notice will be shared from next week onwards.
There's some more content that I created which you can check here:
Lord of the Rings 1978 animated movie - Fanart and Review
LOTR 1978 fanart timelapse video.
I will see you next time. Take care and stay safe.
Love,
Sangita