Disclaimer: If you were born after 2000, please ignore this text, with respect to the older generations :)

You hear everywhere that today's world is a wonderful place for creators, with a whole range of tools and online channels that allow creatives to reach new, higher levels, to find the audience, build communities, and effortlessly monetize their hobbies.

What may be quite simple for young people, for those of us born in the 80s or earlier, requires a bit of mental gymnastics.

I don’t want to sound like a grandpa, but what if you - while searching for an audience - don’t necessarily want to conquer the internet and sell your soul to the devil by aligning with algorithms, because you find it at least awkward, or you simply value real-life experiences more than being online?

Where can we find the balance to promote our work, while not feeling like we’re doing something against ourselves or operating in a space that doesn’t quite resonate with us?
How do we build an audience that is genuinely interested in us and our creations?

This is a bit of a self-reminder post, as I’ve been struggling with these doubts for a long time. However, I’ve came into conclusions that help me act, and while sometimes it costs me some energy, they give me clarity about where I’m coming from, where am I going and which path I’m taking.

I am not going to pretend that I don’t want to share my work – after all, that’s why I built this site, blog, and why I’m active on social media. But I would like photography to be my priority that drives this machine, not the other way around.

Set your purpose and priorities

Your actions online and offline will differ depending on your goals. If you have purely commercial aims, you must play commercially, develop a marketing strategy, and act according to the plan. Sounds crazy, but it’s true.
If you’re simply doing what you love and monetization is secondary, it’s easier because it removes the weight and pressure from your shoulders, giving you the freedom to try out tools that work for you.

That’s a huge advantage over the younger generation, which doesn't have a stable financial situation.

Play the long game

There is no success overnight. Just as honing your skills and craft takes time, so does finding people who resonate with it.
Follow the principle of building your empire step by step, with small successes at a time. Don’t believe in viral trends – they are like one-hit-wonder pop stars who shined for a moment and then disappeared from magazine covers forever.

Be yourself

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be a TikTok star or an Instagram influencer. I don’t care about recognition. I want to spread my enthusiasm for photography, share beautiful images, experiences, and knowledge. It’s hard for me to imagine myself copying Instagram reels trends or photographing things that don’t resonate with me at all. I am sure my people can feel that.

Be honest with your audience

At first, you might think no one cares about what you do, but over time, you’ll see that there are people who follow you on internet for you. Sounds crazy, but ask yourself: to see how many creators do you open this app every day? Exactly.
Now imagine those people want to see your content - sorry for the harsh truth - not because you’re a brilliant artist (don’t get me wrong, you still might be), but simply because they like you. Don’t ruin that.

Quality over quantity

But you might say that a few people don’t matter in light of your goal to make money from your art in the future.
There’s a theory that says you only need a thousand true fans to be sustainable as an individual creator. It might sound unrealistic, but now imagine 1,000 people buying your product every year for 100 euros each. Sounds better, right?

A friendly reminder to myself

Now sit back, relax, and ask yourself: who are you really doing all of this for in the first place?
Exactly.
Don't forget that, because suddenly it might turn out that instead of chasing a better version of yourself as an artist, you're just chasing being recognized, being adored by anonymous crowds or being number one on someone’s feed.

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How to find your way as a millenial artist