Imagine if your next boss didn’t have to read your résumé because he already reads your blog.
Don't be afraid to be an amateur.
You don't have to be a genius to contribute to something! There is no gatekeeper for the internet. (Well maybe your internet service provider, but you get the point). Don't be afraid to be an amateur. Everyone great you know started somewhere. Do things in an unprofessional way then make new discoveries along the way to turn yourself into a professional little by little.
"The stupidest possible creative act is still a creative act" - Clay Shirky
Because sometimes amateurs can have more to teach than experts. Mainly because amateurs are more relatable to other amateurs. The world is changing at such a rapid rate that it is turning us all into amateurs.
Don't worry about how you'll make money from what you're showing. Forget about being an expert or a professional, and wear your amateurism. Share what you love, and the people who love the same things will find you. If you want people to know about what you do and the things you care about, you have to share.
“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked.” -Steve Jobs
Document your process.
“One day at a time. It sounds so simple. It actually is simple but it isn’t easy: It requires incredible support and fastidious structuring.” - Russel Brand
Become a documentarian of what you do. Start a work journal: Write your thoughts down in a notebook, or speak them into an audio recorder. Take a lot of photographs of your work at different stages in your process. Shoot a video of you working. It isn't about making art. It's about keeping track of what's going on around you.
Once a day, after you’ve done your day’s work, go back to your documentation and find one little piece of your process that you can share. Where you are in your process will determine what that piece is. If you’re in the very early stages, share your influences and what’s inspiring you. If you’re in the middle of executing a project, write about your methods or share works in progress. If you’ve just completed a project, show the final product, share scraps from the cutting-room floor, or write about what you learned. If you have lots of projects out into the world, you can report on how they’re doing—you can tell stories about how people are interacting with your work.
A blog is an ideal machine for turning flow into stock: One little blog post is nothing on its own, but publish a thousand blog posts over a decade, and it turns into your life's work. Your blog will be your sketchbook, studio, gallery, storefront, and salon of your life.
"Carving out a space for yourself online, somewhere where you can express yourself and share your work, is still one of the best possible investments you can make with your time." - Andy Baio
Make your own domain.
You ever wondered why most famous people have their own domain/websites? It's because having your own domain is entirely your own; you are not bound to any social media or platform's rules. Meaning if one day the platform were to suddenly disappear, your online presence on that platform will also be affected. Your domain. Your rules.
Don't think of your website as a self-promotion machine; think of it as a self-invention machine. Online, you can become the person you really want to be. Fill your website with your work and your ideas, and the stuff you care about. Over the years, you may be tempted to abandon it for the newest and shiniest social network platform. Don't give in. Don't let it fall into neglect. Think about it in the long term. Stick with it, maintain it, and let it change with you over time.
This isn't to say that you should not be showing your work on other platforms; it is actually better because you would have a larger following. But do keep a copy of whatever you've showcased in the other platform here on your domain too.
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 thing, ready whenever they are.
Show your work but be mindful.
"Post as though everyone who can read it has the power to fire you." -Lauren Cerand
Be a documentarian but be cautious, because make no mistake, this is not your diary. You have to specially curate every single word. Always post as if everyone who can read it has the power to fire you.
Be inspired!
"You are only as good as your record collection." -DJ Spooky
Before we're ready to take the leap of sharing our own work with the world, we can share out tastes in the work of others. Inspiration can be in the form of many!
Where do you get your inspiration? What do you fill your head with? What do you read? Do you subscribe to anything? What sites do you browse on the internet? What music do you listen to? What movies do you watch? Do you collect art? Who's work do you admire? Who do you follow online?
Don't be afraid to share your inspiration!
Structure is everything.
Most story structures can be traced back to myths and fairy tales. Emma Coats, a former storyboard artist at Pixar, outlined, the basic structure of a fairy tale as a kind of a Mad Lib that you can fill in with your own elements:
"Once upon a time, there was _____. Every day, _____. One day, _____. Because of that, _____. Because of that, _____. Until finally, _____.” Pick your favorite story and try to fill in the blanks."
Below is how Dan Harmon structures a story:
So try to structure your work as a story circle.
I did 'something' today, there was this 'challenge'. Because of that, I was stuck with this problem. Until finally, I overcame it and learned this new skill.
My Final Thoughts
This book has completely changed the way I feel about showing stuff online. It made me rethink my old approach of "My work will speak for itself". And it's because of this book I'm extremely motivated to show stuff online and let myself be heard. I finally understood why plentiful productive people started to write up articles and blogs on sites like Medium and Hashnode. I wished this write-up has also inspired you to do the same. Till next time!
If you like to check the book, the link is here:
