After tinkering with a single text for over a year before finally sharing it, I concluded that one of the main things standing between me and my life is my striving for perfection, i.e., seeking everyone’s approval.
You’re such a wonderful writer! I truly enjoyed this post. I’ve also fell victim to social medias form of acceptance being likes and followers, I quickly realized we don’t always have to turn our posts into a performance, and Substack has helped me authentically be myself without having anxiety over likes and follows equating to being enjoyably.
“great stories, poems, and photographs are buried in drawers and forgotten hard drives?
Are there writings comparable to Shakespeare’s or Tolstoy’s that haven’t been shared? Or perhaps a poem that wouldn’t have had such reach but could heal one of my wounds?” this also was written so well ty for sharing your writing I’m glad I was able to read appreciate this! <3
I’m still struggling with impostor syndrome when it comes to writing, so I really appreciate your kind words ☺️
Likes and follows do not equate to something being enjoyable…this is an interesting way of thinking about it. I wonder how often, when sharing on Instagram and similar platforms, do we even question whether we are enjoying it. Creating and sharing should bring joy, but I doubt that likes and follows ever truly provide that, even for those who are considered successful on such platforms.
Just the words “likes and follows” carry a bittersweet taste for me, they come with a sense of being evaluated and compared, rather than a feeling that someone is genuinely connecting with what you’ve shared.
On the other hand, comments have always brought me actual joy. That’s one of the reasons I appreciate Substack so much, it’s wonderful to see people taking the time to dive deeper into something and to form and share their thoughts and feelings about it. It makes me hopeful.
Thanks for sharing! The worry over numbers and external validation is so very real and often times crippling. Definitely need to work on this myself. Glad to have you here☺️
I guess it is each person’s individual “responsibility” to figure out how to deal with this. However, I do hope that it will eventually be addressed on a broader level, and maybe even by the platforms themselves.
I realize that right now that sounds very unlikely, but I dare to dream ☺️
Agreed! I know a lot of people talk about the way social media used to feel more community-oriented but in the current influencer age everything feels more commodified and tied to virality.
Would be nice to have these companies address this and really get back to the heart of what makes digital interaction so valuable.
You’re such a wonderful writer! I truly enjoyed this post. I’ve also fell victim to social medias form of acceptance being likes and followers, I quickly realized we don’t always have to turn our posts into a performance, and Substack has helped me authentically be myself without having anxiety over likes and follows equating to being enjoyably.
“great stories, poems, and photographs are buried in drawers and forgotten hard drives?
Are there writings comparable to Shakespeare’s or Tolstoy’s that haven’t been shared? Or perhaps a poem that wouldn’t have had such reach but could heal one of my wounds?” this also was written so well ty for sharing your writing I’m glad I was able to read appreciate this! <3
Wow, Lili, thank you!
I’m still struggling with impostor syndrome when it comes to writing, so I really appreciate your kind words ☺️
Likes and follows do not equate to something being enjoyable…this is an interesting way of thinking about it. I wonder how often, when sharing on Instagram and similar platforms, do we even question whether we are enjoying it. Creating and sharing should bring joy, but I doubt that likes and follows ever truly provide that, even for those who are considered successful on such platforms.
Just the words “likes and follows” carry a bittersweet taste for me, they come with a sense of being evaluated and compared, rather than a feeling that someone is genuinely connecting with what you’ve shared.
On the other hand, comments have always brought me actual joy. That’s one of the reasons I appreciate Substack so much, it’s wonderful to see people taking the time to dive deeper into something and to form and share their thoughts and feelings about it. It makes me hopeful.
Thanks for sharing! The worry over numbers and external validation is so very real and often times crippling. Definitely need to work on this myself. Glad to have you here☺️
Thank you so much, A’Daja!
I guess it is each person’s individual “responsibility” to figure out how to deal with this. However, I do hope that it will eventually be addressed on a broader level, and maybe even by the platforms themselves.
I realize that right now that sounds very unlikely, but I dare to dream ☺️
Agreed! I know a lot of people talk about the way social media used to feel more community-oriented but in the current influencer age everything feels more commodified and tied to virality.
Would be nice to have these companies address this and really get back to the heart of what makes digital interaction so valuable.