Audience Of One
If you’re on social media there is no denying the value of numerics. The foundation of success is measured in how many views, likes, clicks, or shares a post has.
A friend has never sent me a post of theirs saying “I’m proud of this.” Instead, it’s “look how well this performed.”
When I read that, it feels as if the art itself is stripped of merit while the value is given to how well it’s compared to the posts of others.
It always felt wrong but I was never able to pinpoint why.
It finally dawned on me. We’re making content for the algorithm, bots, and people who “like for a like” rather than people who genuinely enjoy the work.
I write for one reader, you.
If one person reads my work I consider it a victory. Attention is the most finite resource we have. Every moment spent wasted is a moment we never get back. To think of the times we’ve spent doom-scrolling on our phones with no inclination of what we’re looking for is frightening.
I’m aware this post was a ramble but if there’s anything I can leave you with, let it be the idea that you should create stories you WANT to tell, not what you think the “audience” likes. There is no “audience”. There are people who share the same fears as you, people with dreams and aspirations who hope someone may like their work as much as you hope they like yours.
I’ll end this post with a quote by John Steinbeck that I turn to on my hardest days.
“Your audience is one single reader. I have found that sometimes it helps to pick out one person-a real person you know, or an imagined person-and write to that one.”
- John Steinbeck
If you can impress that one person, you’ve won the game.
Neurotically yours,
- Lorne