This article is courtesy our guest writer, Sanam Buxani!
Being someone who’s always needed a creative outlet, whether it’s making vlogs to comically exaggerate my life or making entertaining videos for social media, I sure did like it when my work got recognised and validated.
However, this whole game made me realise that fame is fickle and like many others, my newfound popularity hit an iceberg called the “secret” shadow-ban. Shadow-banning is defined as “the act of partially blocking a user or their content from an online community so that it is not apparent that they have been banned.” In short, it’s when a platform attempts to cancel you in a very slow and heart-breaking fashion because it thinks you’re a bot. I truly thought I was the kind of person who did not care for traction, who wouldn’t get affected by seemingly trivial numbers; but when I saw my followers stagnate and my views drop even after putting out the best work I could, my heart did sink. I did something that I never thought I would do… I persistently refreshed the platform.
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Now, while I felt horrible about this happening, I soon understood that it was not personal. It’s a game, an algorithm, a constantly updating machine trying to kick bots out of the mix and sometimes, you can end up being a casualty. Another thing I gathered is that it is never permanent. There will always be ups and downs. What is important here is the work you put out. The game’s mission is not running behind views, money, followers or subscribers, that just isn’t great for the bigger picture. Instead, focus on your content, on your work, build yourself as a brand. That’s how you level up. Everything else will fall into place. Plus, being shadow-banned a couple of times teaches you a few tricks of getting around it. The one that seems to work the most is consuming content. Liking and commenting on other’s work makes you seem like well… a human being using the platform and not a bot.
Another lesson I’ve learned being a creator playing this game is; and mind you, this applies to any artist out there, that there is a difference between your followers/subscribers and your friends. I have people trying to talk to me, wanting to be my friend and showing me so much support. It is very easy to get intoxicated by this instant gratification. When I started out, I replied to every single message and comment; it seemed like the nicer thing to do but to what end? This image of me that people have, they sort of put me on a pedestal; its surreal and baffling to be in such a situation. How do I keep up? How do I give these people what they want? How do I win here? Ultimately I learned that I need to think about what is good for me. How do I win here? I cannot deliver if I am exhausted. I also did not want to lose sight of myself and what I wanted to make by catering to an audience. Basically over here, boundaries are extremely important.
I soon realised that the person that everyone thinks I am is essentially a mere ten percent of the real me. I’m human, just like everybody else behind their screens. Awe and appreciation (and even hate) can blind people from seeing that. These people don’t know me, they only know a version of me… and get this, this is the version that I allow them to see. I control the story here. This is hands down the best thing I’ve learned so far: as a creator, in this game, the ball is in your court.
I suppose I became a “content creator” without even realising it; although I genuinely love the work I get to do. That’s why I’m writing this post. If you are a creator who is small and new at this, you’re not alone in how you feel. I have had to figure out a lot on my own but I thought, perhaps, my learnings so far could possibly help someone else not feel so confused or helpless about this whole game of putting your work out there. In the end, it’s not about the platform, it’s about what you’re creating. Whether its an outlet or your passion, your work speaks for you. About the game? Don’t worry. Like I said, the ball is in your court. Just keep shooting your shot.
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Check out Sanam's awesome Instagram account to be inspired and entertained here!
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