Share Some Stuff — A Note of Encouragement for 2026

So, not too long ago, something really awesome happened to our online communities. The pandemic hit. Our whole world fell apart and we were stuck at home. People were climbing the walls and they decided to either start hobbies, return to old hobbies, and most importantly share what they were working on. People started YouTube channels and Instagram accounts. Spare bedrooms and basement became studios. People started to learn how to edit a video on their phone. They came up with funny names. They sourced out wild music and downloaded templates to make everything they produced look interesting and unique. And the internet started to feel like local public access television. Many of us were part of these small online communities and we waited impatiently for a little bell to go off or an alert so they could take a look at a recent photo or a new video upload. It was a hobby renaissance and for me I loved it. It was honestly the high point of the lockdown. And then the lockdown ended. Um, life returned. We got busy and most importantly, we left the house. The time we had to not only work on our hobbies, but to share them, well, it quickly went away. A lot of people still wanted to share what they were doing. So, when time allowed, they'd post a photo or a short video just to let people know what they were up to. But the social media ecosystem is a fickle thing. It rewards consistency, it rewards optimization, and it rewards viewership. And social media doesn't have much patience. So, people who had been enjoying a thriving online community shared less and got punished for it. You'd post something, nobody would say anything, and it felt like it wasn't worth it anymore. And honestly, that makes a lot of sense. My entire professional life and my life before being a grown-up has always been spent in creative spaces. I'm lucky I get paid to make pretty things. I went to art school. I taught at art school. And in both those places, progress always mattered more than performance. You weren't evaluated on outcomes. You were evaluated on growth. You worked on projects. You shared them with your peers. You got feedback and you improved. As a teacher, you attract someone's progress over the semester. Were they getting better? Were they thinking differently? Professionally, you present ideas, you refine them, and you do your best to shape them to match the client's needs. Feedback is a big part of that process. And across that, there's one thing that's always a constant. You have to share. I loved teaching. It was hard, but I loved it. Watching somebody build a skill, gain confidence, figure out what matters to them, and learn how to communicate their ideas is incredibly rewarding. And progress doesn't need an audience of thousands to be meaningful. I love my hobby. I love building little empires and I love sharing what I do. I'm also very lucky that I get to make videos. Making videos is fun. Playing with effects, mood, and music, that's fun. It's another creative outlet for me. But it's not the point. The point is the work itself. It probably won't surprise you that I love apocalyptic movies. I like zombies and urban decay. I like vintage horror films. I like abandoned spaces. And I like graffiti. And I'm always trying to tap into those interests and figure out how I can merge them into my little world. And after I've done that, try to figure out a way to share it with you. Whether it be the content of the thing that I'm working on or the wrapper that I put around the video. The goal is to see if I can progress by revisiting my own ideas and sharing them to see if there's any growth. That's the stuff I like and I like to share the things that I like. But I'll be the first to admit it's not for everybody. What's great about having a niche interest is when somebody else who likes the same things as you do uh finds you, you immediately become part of a like-minded little community. And that means you get to interact with people who are going to offer up encouragement or new ideas and that's going to feel great. That's a niche. The only downside of a niche is that it doesn't scale very well. And when you share something to an admittedly small audience, it might feel like you're not getting the traction you wish your ideas were getting. And it can start to feel like that sharing doesn't really matter. And you know what? That can be discouraging. But for me, those small personal stories are some of my favorite thing on the internet. I love videos that maybe struggle to tell their story that aren't necessarily dramatic and maybe don't have the highest production value, but they're personal and they're sharing an individual story and individual growth. And I find it inspiring and encouraging to see what anybody's working on. I like seeing other people get excited about their own projects. And I love it even more when they have the courage to share it. That doesn't mean that these small personal stories can't be popular. There's just this unfortunate misconception if that your personal approach doesn't resonate with a large audience, that it's a flaw, and it's not. It might just mean that what you're interested doesn't necessarily always make for great TV, but that doesn't mean that it has any less value. Feedback matters. When you put something out there and people react positively, it feels great. But with that, if you put too much effort into trying to learn the rules of the platforms, the algorithm, and you change your approach to satisfy the needs of views, likes, and comments, you can accidentally wind up changing your approach to actually doing the things that you love. And if you start chasing that feedback by changing the way you work or working on the things that you actually enjoy, it's going to lead nowhere but frustration. So why am I saying all this? I mean, the digital landscape has changed and maybe not necessarily for the better, and for anyone who wants to share what they're working on, it can be a frustrating uphill process because you're not necessarily going to see the recognition that it's going to motivate you. I'm saying it because when people share, a community thrives and there's an awesome community out there that I would love to see thrive even more. I would love to see people share more. I want to remind people that they can contribute in their own unique way. That you're allowed to share what you're working on imperfectly. You're allowed to exist online without turning yourself into a product. Communities like this don't thrive because everybody plays the game well. They thrive because people keep showing up honestly over time. And so for 2026, this is what I'm saying. Do what you love, love what you do, and share. Happy New Year, everybody. I hope to see more from you, and I'll see you next time. [Music] [Music]