Art without an audience

Before the performance of social media.

Attention seeking vs authenticity

Since taking my Substack platform seriously, I’ve observed how true artistic expression is not lost. Instagram, Twitter and even TikTok has become so performative and algorithmic that you think the whole world has transitioned to be this way and it’s a false perception; Those are merely attention seeking platforms. Disclaimer, this article excludes entrepreneurs and businesses for obvious reasons. Now I remember when Instagram was fresh, fun and exciting because it was new and there were no preconceived judgements about it. Everyone just took pictures with their phones of whatever they found appealing without critics. Fast forward about 5-10 years in and now people feel pressured to take professional photos just to upload on their platforms. When did the weight of perfection begin to takeover social media and why? So much comparison and competition on these other apps that it’s not even enjoyable content anymore, it’s just cringe.

TikTok created versions of videos where you have smaller increments in time to make an impact on the viewer which has decreased everyone’s attention spans by seconds and then scrolling down to get the next visual high. Twitter used to be my favorite app until recent changes to personal settings and then I noticed how everyone would steal tweets, intellectual property and recycle the same quotes and sayings over and over again. The riff raff and combative verbal assaults are not filtered and even allowed porn to make it’s way onto the platform and no matter how many times you report things; nothing ever gets done. It’s like Twitter thrives off of division over there and the calamity becomes way too much to try and filter so you just spend less and less time on it.

Basically what I’m saying is these platforms have lost its art. Nothing is authentic. Nothing has a story. Nothing is patiently crafted. This is why I’m drawn to investing in my Substack. Where thoughts for my next article marinate. Where instant gratification just doesn’t work here. It’s a slow, steady and thoughtful build. Somehow you feel safer here when you don’t have any subscribers yet, whereas other platforms you feel like a nobody if you don’t have any followers. I had 2 subscribers just a few days ago and while I thought of how to increase the numbers it didn’t discourage me and it didn’t make me feel like less of a writer. I just show up everyday with a new thought and I write about it. The pressure to perform isn’t here on this platform and that’s what I love about being here and also being amongst other writers, artist and free-thinkers who just get it. There’s no noise here. No clout chasers. No attention seekers. No one to compare yourself too because we are all here to express whatever is on our minds and hearts because art is still art without an audience.

-Skye🤍🌷