About a month ago, a young creator asked me what keeps me going, likely expecting answers like “better future,” “discipline,” or “chasing dreams.” Reflecting on that question brought me clarity. Clarity, many creators carry deep down, but either struggle to articulate or are afraid to say out loud.
After dropping my first video on the algorithm, a fellow creator commented that it conveys what many feel, but struggle to express. And recently, someone who appreciates my work said, “I should never quit.”
But should you really never quit as a small creator? And if not, what keeps you going?
I’ll answer that question: both as myself and as the voice of something larger. A silent egregore of creators who keep showing up regardless of algorithms and digital borders.
English
Many people are born English speakers. Foreign creators had to learn it so they could create. In and of itself, this is quite a few extra miles and an enormous investment.
In 2025, globalization and decentralization are supposed to work in full force. Yet, devices and platforms translate our dictation into the local language and push your content locally.
Nevertheless, you already rewired your brain and recognize English as the language of my soul, so I use it 24/7, including not just work, but your whole relationship, and even buying groceries. So, you might as well keep on creating culture.
Confidence
Gurus recommend “being yourself,” “having confidence,” or “not caring of what others think.” Actual creators know none of these is really that challenging.
- You can have zero confidence and still do well.
- People in the US, you can pop an Adderall, get “instantly confident,” and start overemoting and overgesturing. They tend to do great as platforms favor confidence over competence.
Being vs Liking Yourself
The hardest part is liking yourself. Or at least, enough to not re-record, scrap the video, or abandon the channel down the line.
A week ago, I commented on a big creator, offering the same “be yourself” and “have confidence” advice. The guy replied that they were recording that same video for a second or third time.
Nevertheless, their message wasn’t about how to not re-record, but how to be “yourself” and “confidence,” which didn’t seem to help them much.
The Camera
A factor keeping many small creators going is that we can finally look at our own images and be satisfied, if not even inspired. The camera doesn’t lie. It captures every stupid tingling of your face.
- You ate more carbs or salt the night before: it shows it.
- You are out of shape? It makes it obvious even if you show only your face.
- Your room is a mess. It shows every detail of that mess.
- The sun in the background shifts? It shows that.
On the contrary, the camera captures just as well when you transform each of these into a symbol speaking to your audience. When intentionally built, your main shot shows it all.
- Your soul,
- Your culture,
- Your passion.
In my background, there are Qabalistic diagrams and Studio Display. I rock Carhartt WIP, and soon my own brand, ElevenBeams. Those who know know. Those who don’t are confused by the combination and the fact, I don’t smile or say, ‘Hey, guys.
A-roll was a nightmare for years. I hated re-recording because every time I watched it back, I’d think:
Damn, I look like shit.
The same applied to color grading and sound.
After ten years of creating four, of which some spent battling severe agoraphobia, we finally have these pieces dialed in. We set up everything and get it done like champs.
The Price
If you resonate, you see beyond notions like “follow your passion” and “chase your dreams.” You have many passions and dreams. Yet, the price you paid for this one is far too high to quit.
You have no illusions about the current algorithms or platforms rewarding your work. You likely expect them to get worse, favoring superficiality.
After six months of consistent uploads, you know exactly what consistency brings when you’re not in a place like the UK, US, or Canada, especially to polymaths and cross-referential thinkers.
Niche
You are also free of delusions about niches. When you speak only about something mainstream like fitness and health, or tech vs existential themes and Esotericism. It’s all the same.
The algorithm picks up a random video from 3 years ago, demands you to remake it with clickbait titles, smiles, bad sound, and ‘Hey Guys,’ as that’s what it perceives as “raw authenticity.”
It wants to keep you stuck, yet you moved on, you evolved. You become someone else. It’s an illusion beyond which many won’t ever see, because they simply won’t do the work, and this is where gurus make their critical point.
You
But you? You are not like them. You did Gladwell’s 10000 hours a few times, and spent quite a few bucks, because making videos is not free. Sorry. It isn’t.
So you might as well do whatever the fuck you want. You also finally got your multi-cam A-roll set-up and have all those ideas, angels and demons really want you to say to the world.
Can you really abandon that? You can’t partially because of how far you’ve come, partially because your investment feels unreal.
Investemment
Besides ongoing spending(s), video production costs you all your twenties and half of your thirties. And while it hasn’t brought what gurus promise, it has fostered a transformation that probably nothing else would have.
It just so happens that the current platforms punish and localize such a transformation and depth.
If that rings any bells, you likely no longer obey the algorithms and gurus, but also refuse to waste what you’ve built. It was a challenge and investment without equal. You reflect and realize that compared to it:
- Quitting drugs and booze is a joke.
- Getting in shape, a piece of cake.
- Breaking free from toxic relationships and dynamics – another joke.
A Bright Future
Yet you stay optimistic. The Fortune card is perpetual change and expansion beyond current limitations. The wheel of Fortune turns, so do the tables of life.
- Nokia was replaced by the Blackberry, which perished with the announcement of the iPhone.
- mIRC and ICQ gave way to MySpace.
So, who knows, better alternatives might be just around the corner. Which reminds me of Substack, where I am to post at least one note daily, and started a publication called ElevenBeams.
By creating, you are building yourself, not for YouTube or IG. You cultivate the evergreen skills of storytelling, nuanced writing, and videography. When the wheel of Fortune turns, you’ll be sharper than ever.
Meaning
Plus, as we know from Viktor Frankl, the ultimate goal is finding Meaning. Algorithms can localize you, bringing suffering. Gurus rub discipline and hustle slogans in your face, bringing noise and interference.
Yet, from the first to your last upload, your transformation is undeniable. Meaning is available, so you hold on to it, walking on your path. Just like Frankl did, coming on top despite the Nazis.
Thank you for your time.