My biggest mistake as a creator: thinking I had an audience.

I’ve made a big mistake as a creator: letting my ego, ambition, and social media convince me that I had a massive “audience” rather than a real network.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the shallow world of likes, followers, and influence.

Over the years, my work became less about genuine connection and more about chasing those numbers.

Social media, with its algorithms and echo chambers, made me think those numbers represented real people waiting for my next post. But it was just a mirage, a shallow surface hiding the lack of genuine human connection.

It’s not just the platforms’ fault, though.

My own inflated sense of self played a big part in this too.

The word “audience” implies a one-sided relationship.

It suggests a group of people passively consuming my content. This view is not only limiting, it’s wrong. It misses the whole point of being a creator today: being part of a living, interactive network.

A network, unlike an audience, is full of energy. It’s not just about broadcasting to a bunch of anonymous people.

It’s about engagement, conversation, and growing together.

It involves listening as much as talking, and learning as much as teaching. In a network, everyone you connect with can be a collaborator, a source of inspiration, or someone who gives you helpful feedback.

There are real people on the other side of the screen.

They’re not just numbers to fill my quota of fans or data points on a graph.

They have so much more to offer than just their attention and time. I can’t keep treating those who connect with my work as background characters in a video game.

Realizing this has been a huge shift for me.

I’ve changed my focus from chasing applause to building conversations.

Instead of obsessing over follower count, I care more about the quality of my interactions.

This new approach has opened up so many creative possibilities and growth opportunities that I was blind to before, when I was fixated on superficial metrics.

I talk to people more than ever now.

I listen more, and I learn so much.

My ideas evolve and grow with every interaction.

There’s a depth and richness to this that you can’t find in chasing fame.

This shift in thinking has made me more humble.

It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers when you see your followers growing.

But remembering that each follower is a real person with their own unique thoughts and experiences brings me back down to earth.

It reminds me that I’m part of something bigger than myself.

My success isn’t just about likes or shares; it’s about the impact I have on others, and how they impact me in return.

I don’t want to be some kind of internet celebrity.

That path seems incredibly lonely.

I’m a writer, and I write. When people connect with my work, it’s not something I take lightly.

It’s a gift, an honor, and something I value deeply.