You can control one thing precisely: how you show up.
Every day.
That's about it. Showing up is not a silver bullet. It's not an easy win. It's not a life. It's not a shortcut. But it's the only way to build anything.
The truth is - we are too focused on instant wins.
Instant gratification.
We are too focused on breaking.
We hope all the content we create will spread like wildfire and we feel discouraged when that doesn't happen.
But that's a meaningless way to think about what we do. As creators, as writers, as creatives, we can't chase the Flash in the pan, overnight success.
That's the kind of short-term approach that never pays off. There's no way to predict the success of a virus, and anyone who thinks they can approach it in any repeatable format will be wrong.
No algorithm can predict it.
From my experience in content creation, storytelling, and online work, I've learned one thing.
You can't trust anything more than the power of consistency.
You can't trust anything more than just showing up, day in and day out and faithfully, building your audience honestly.
Showing you the opportunity to truly grow.
Stagnation happens to the best of us, it happens to the worst of us, and it happens to everyone in between. Stagnation is the death of Creation. It means your audience will get bored with you, get tired of how you create, and start losing interest in the mundanity you pursue.
And when all you're doing is trying to push for instant success, there's no way you can avoid that stagnation.
Because you're not listening to your audience.
You're not hearing their passions and needs.
You're just looking at numbers.
Watching them go down, and sacrificing any creative spark you ever had for data.
If you build a slow, long-term, dedicated relationship with the people actively talking bad about what you do - that's different.
That's where you build a worthwhile career and a body of important work.
How to do that?
Show up. Show up with your whole self, show up with your values and beliefs, show up with what makes you unique, but above all - show up with consistency.
Consistency allows people to understand what you're doing.
The first time someone interacts with you, they don't know who you are. The first time someone consumes a piece of content you've created, they don't know what you're saying. You can't communicate that in a piece, no matter how good it is. It can't synthesize the structure and unique approach to how you do what you do.
By constantly working to create content regularly, you can provide context for your audience to take them on a journey. Sounds like nonsense? It's the truth. Your role as a producer and storyteller is to create a hero's journey that allows someone to create an emotional connection with your message, your ideas, and your creative brand. There's no way to do that if you can't maintain a steady job.
As I look at how I can grow my network, grow my audience, write for publications from Wired to SF Chronicle, to create @westenberg to start a VC fund, consistent action is what always makes the difference.
If I hadn't done that, if I focused on trying to overcome rather than build, there's no way I could be where I am today.
The key to building an audience is showing up.
Showing up will provide you with the foundation you need to have a career and a craft.
Anything else is a distraction.