Stop making content? What do you mean, J.D.? Isn’t this show called Content Creation Musings? Well, yes, it is. But I have to tell you, I don't really like content. Let me explain, because this is something that has been bouncing around in my brain for several months now.
The internet, and society in general, is full of content. It’s full of news outlets, influencers, mega corporations, and tech giants foisting content on us 24/7. There is an insane amount of content barraging our senses constantly. Mindless noise and inane time-wasters are rampant. And frankly, it’s tiring and tiresome. It’s junk food for the mind and heart; pretty packaging, bright colors, but very little nutrients, and little to no value or substance.
I don’t want what I do as a creator to fall into the category of “just another piece of content.” And my goal here is to encourage you to consider what impact your output is having. Whether you’re making a social post, recording a podcast, writing a newsletter or novel, producing a video or an audio drama, let’s do so with intentionality. Not just to feed an algorithm, get views, or build a following, but to make something that you actually care about and believe in. I want you to stop making content and instead make art.
That doesn’t mean I’m telling you to run out and grab an easel, oil paints, brushes, a canvas, and a beret. (Unless you want to!) Art is more than just the visual arts of painting or sculpture. Your book, your audio drama, even your blog posts can be art. Or, at the very least, be made with artistic care and flair.
The great Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy, wrote in his 1898 book What Is Art?: “Art begins when some one, with the object of making others share his feeling, expresses his feeling by certain external indications.” He goes even a little further and outright defines “art” later in the book by saying, "...art is the transmission to others of a special feeling experienced by the artist..." So, in other words, he’s saying that the artist makes something that endeavors to share a specific emotion or feeling with the one who interacts with the piece of art. Now that’s what I want to do.
I want to make something that has value, that has meaning, that enriches. I don’t want to just make content that adds to the noise of everyday life. I want to be intentional with what I spend my time creating. I want my audio dramas to stir up emotions in the listener. I want to write a story that the reader connects with on a deep human level.
I don’t want to record a podcast just because the schedule tells me it’s time to put one out. I don’t want to write a blog post or social post or newsletter just because if I don’t, I won’t be staying top of mind or pleasing an algo. I want to make something because I have something to say. I have something to share. I have some value to bring to those who are following my work. I don’t want to waste their time by just serving up another platter of content that gives a sugar rush, but doesn’t give them anything to savor.
I’m not saying that I think that everything I have made, or ever will make, is of the highest level of quality. That it all deserves the label of “art.” But what I am saying is that I am shifting my mindset and striving to make something that eventually can be, and will be, worthy of such a distinction.
And I’m also not saying that content is necessarily bad. Frankly, this is something of an exercise in semantics, because books, news, podcasts, videos, and whatever else you might be making are indeed content. But not all content truly has intrinsic value. In fact, content has been seriously devalued in recent years. These days, with just a couple of prompts, anyone can have an AI tool spit out all sorts of "content." And YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon are being flooded with content that a computer has regurgitated from all of the things that it has ingested. To be clear, I’m not an AI-teetotaler, and I’m not trying to incite a witch hunt for those suspected of or confirmed using it. It is a tool that, just like anything else, can be used for good or for ill. I’m simply trying to make a point.
I’ve really just scratched the surface with this today. I am still cogitating on what all of this means for me as a creative. I’m definitely not saying that I am a master or have all the answers. And I know that as creatives, we also have to take financial ramifications into consideration as well. This is just an effort to share what’s on my mind with you in the hopes that it will inspire you to consider these ideas as you go about your own projects.
So, I’m not going to eschew terms like “content creator” or “content creation.” Even though the whole idea of “content creation” is a relatively recent concept that only dates back to around the 1970s, according to the OED, I think these are useful terms. So, no, this show will not be getting a name change. But I am going to be thinking about what I create in different terms. I want it to have a purpose. I want it to make an impact. I want to make art.
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