“A quiet shift is taking place”: On being a creative in the age of content

To hell with the metrics

Views, likes, shares, comments… There's no shortage of attempts to quantify your success on social media. It would be unfair to say these metrics are not at all important. They give creatives important insight into how their content is performing so they may adapt their approaches to increase their reach. Although, we should be careful not to assume these measure success. There are a variety of non-numeric factors that matter, which are not easily measured, such as how your work makes people feel, how much they trust you, and how much it inspires new ideas. I’m a firm believer that forming an online community does not happen by going viral, but by resonating with people as individuals.

In fact, for creatives looking to generate income through social media, prioritising these soft metrics may actually be most valuable. Brands and industry leaders often value higher levels of engagement, niche areas of focus, and strong community relationships over numbers that don’t really tell them much about how an audience feels. Creatives should take social media metrics with a grain of salt, and focus their efforts more on community-building factors.

In a similar vein, metrics are often used to fuel comparison with other creatives. Ali Sheikh, a multidisciplinary artist and designer based in Toronto, Canada, reflected on his journey interacting with viral creative work. “I would see other people’s art on social media, even if it wasn’t something that I wanted to make, and think, damn, I should have done that,” he says. “I realised instead of judging, I can just DM them and tell them their work is beautiful. Anytime I find myself comparing myself to others, I remind myself that this person is just like me.” We spoke about how social media can prompt creatives to compete and view others as opponents, when in reality, we can forge digital communities where authentic connections are valued and successes are celebrated. “I realised how good I feel when I have a connection with someone.”

Be a digital curator

Sometime since the rise of recommendation algorithms, social media became a little… cacophonous. Every page refresh serves you new and personalised content on a silver platter, just for you. Although, many people seem to be growing tired of this constant flow of information. In 2024, I began a video series, Corners of the Internet, sharing websites and apps that feel quieter and curious – the way that the internet felt as a child exploring on the family computer. I was pleasantly surprised at how many people also yearned for a softer, more human internet. “This feels like what the internet should be for instead of mindlessly scrolling,” one commenter shared.

In my conversation with Hayley Mortin, UX researcher and textile artist behind the knitting project Dazy Chains, she expressed a similar sentiment. “Amid the relentless flood of digital content, a quiet shift is taking place: a growing desire for the artist as a digital curator.” This term resonated with me – I was brought back to this idea that social media was intended to be a place for connecting with others over shared interests and hobbies, and the concept of being a digital curator feels increasingly personal and authentic in the age of content. “In an environment dominated by algorithm-driven noise, these trusted creatives stand out,” Hayley added. “They don’t just add to the noise – they become the signal.”

I find this rather exciting. Social media represents a shift in power from the content as a product of consumption, to the creator as an artist. Every creative has a unique set of knowledge and identities that can be celebrated because it allows for exactly what audiences are searching for – a curated, niche place to find solace.

Social media as a playground

It may be no surprise that social media represents new and ever-changing formats for sharing your work – is short-form or long-form video content in right now? What types of content does the algorithm care about at this current moment?

Keeping up with what’s trending on social media can feel tiring, but understanding its role as a medium – not just a tool – can transform your approach. More than just a channel to reach an audience, social media actively influences how your work is perceived and contextualised. (As Marshall McLuhan famously said, “The medium is the message”). It shapes your artistic identity as much as it amplifies your voice. The journey isn’t just about getting from creation to consumption; it’s about the layers of interpretation that unfold in the digital space. In other words, viewing social media as a medium is an opportunity to make and contextualise creative work in newfound ways.

While this can feel daunting, it can also be freeing. The fleeting nature of social media offers a lack of permanence, allowing for constant reinvention and iteration. I find it particularly liberating to prototype in public – that is, to experiment with different projects and formats through social media and invite others to offer feedback and collaborate. Online, the viewer is not just a passive recipient, but a co-creator.

“For me, the defining characteristic of being a creative person online is the capacity for real-time dialogue and immediate audience feedback. Social media allows me to share finished pieces, works-in-progress, and my process. This approach also allows me to give my work context in ways that aren't possible in traditional galleries or print, merging the ephemeral with the permanent, and the personal with the professional.” (Hayley Mortin)

When you embrace the ephemerality of social media as an opportunity for experimentation and collaboration, it is transformed from this exhausting race against the algorithm into a creative playground – a space where you’re free to try new things, collaborate, and play.

Find your clearing in the woods

When social media begins to feel like a dense forest that’s pressing in around you, find a clearing – a quiet glade or meadow where the light shines. Because of the internet’s everywhereness, it’s easy to forget that you have control to form a digital habitat that feels right for you.

For me, that involves using screen time limits for social media websites and spending more time on quiet platforms without recommendation algorithms, such as Are.na, a social creative research tool. Ali Sheikh says his Instagram has always been the first thing he goes to when he finishes a piece of art, but “that muscle memory has been changing in the past year or so. I’ve been finding peace in not feeling the need to share every detail.”

Reflect on how social media makes you feel, and build a system that maintains your control. There are no rules! You can shape an online experience that feels authentic, inspiring, and empowering for you – even when that means logging off and going for a nice, long walk.