Reflecting on Social Media

Hi dear readers. It’s been a little while since I’ve written you properly. If it feels like all I’ve done lately is try to sell things and promote my shop, it’s because it’s true. If you follow me on Instagram or TikTok, you’ll have seen a slew of content from me and I’m here to officially say that alas, I have finally given in to the great beast that is the creator economy.

For years I have wrestled with the idea of needing to be on social media to grow my business. On one hand, people made successful businesses before the age of social media, so I could certainly take that path. On the other, it seems foolish to opt out of this very ubiquitous part of today’s modern world that has been helpful to so many others. 

The part that I’ve struggled with the most is the idea that I shouldn’t just share my art, but also share about myself and my lifestyle, practically turning my persona into a brand to sell to the masses. I’m generally a private person on the internet and if it weren’t for my business, I wouldn’t be posting on social media at all. As much as I love watching studio vlogs and “a day in my life” content, the idea of turning the camera on myself feels pretty icky.

The joy I’m managing to find in all of this, though, is the connection I’ve made with people who relate to my story. “Quitting my tech job to fulfill my lifelong dream of being an artist” is so glamorous and seems so easy when others do it. I’ve always wanted to share that it was not an easy journey for me, and it still requires a lot of energy and effort, especially with my own insecurities about financial stability. After the comments I’ve gotten over the past few years, appreciating my candor about mental health, being inspired to pursue art, and resonating with wanting to quit a traditional career, I’ve started to feel more fulfilled by a social media presence that feels so unnatural to me. 

I often reflect on the kind of media I would consume before I did this full-time. Five years ago, I would cling on to any inkling that a person didn’t like their high-paying job or did quit their job to become an artist, especially if they were female or Asian. I dreamed that one day that could be my story too. Now that I have achieved it, I want to send messages to people like me 5 years ago, giving them a realistic look at what this life is now that I’m living it. 

I had to hit rock bottom multiple times in my tech job before I realized that I was valuing money and pride way too much over my happiness and well-being. My only hope by putting myself and my story out there is that I can prevent someone else from needing to make the same mistakes. 

So, lately I’ve embraced the content creator lifestyle under the premise that my content should help people. Whether it be sharing that a transition to an art career is possible, that I’m continuing to work on my mental health, or just factual information about how much money I make and spend running my business, I want to be as transparent as possible. It helps me feel like the rough path my life has taken the last few years was for a reason. If I can save anyone from ending up in the dark place that I was in, by making freaking TikToks and scrounging around for views and likes, then all this filming, editing, writing, and trying to appease the algorithm will have been worth it. 

If you're into the content I've been making lately, let me know! And if not, definitely let me know! I'm still very worried about what my audience thinks and how to straddle the line between helping other creators and appealing to art lovers.

If you want to make it a bit easier for me to keep doing this job, you can support me by:

👩🏻‍🎨 Follow me on Instagram @madebychanamon
🧋 Giving a tip on BuyMeACoffee
✏️ Support me on Patreon
👩🏻‍💻 Visiting my website www.chanamon.com
💌 Sharing this post with your friends and fellow makers