My Sacred Online Space
My relationship with content creation was one born out of necessity.
To date myself, I started sharing my music online back when Myspace was still a thing. I remember how unbelievably nervous I felt when I clicked publish on my first demo. It wasn’t a “radio-ready” track. It was live-recorded so that I had something to take with me to a music camp because I couldn’t safely transport my guitar on the plane.
I published blogs on my Myspace, shared my first live performance date, and connected with friends. I fell in love with a space that allowed me to share my music without the need for a major label. It was incredible when people listened. For so long, I was creating in isolation and LOVED the feeling of finally connecting with others through art. It felt like a sacred online space, though one I always tried to use with a lot of caution.
Then came facebook. I resisted facebook for the first couple of years. Being a teenager at the time, I eventually caved to peer pressure. Even so, I refused to share a profile picture for a long time. I remember one of my friends took my first profile picture and tagged me in it. Underneath, another mutual friend wrote, “Yes, tell her to put this as her profile picture. She NEEDS one.” Ironically, the image was only half of my face.
You can literally spot my boss in the background.
In my early 20’s, I remember the start of instagram. With a history of being a graphic design nerd, I was excited by every cheesy filter. Sometimes a sunset needed no introduction and it was nice to see a space for when words failed you. I didn’t have a smartphone at the time, so I had to wait a while to jump on the instagram train. Once I was able to join, it had already rapidly started changing (due to selling to facebook.)
Twitter, TikTok, Tumblr - I’ve seen so many online platforms begin. I’ve seen some crumble. I’ve contributed content. I’ve deleted my accounts. I’ve started new ones. As someone born in the 1990s, none of this is new to me.
It’s why I know that I can’t count on any of them to be there in the end. This website and my email list, that I have painstakingly built over the years, is the most reliable platform I have.
It’s my space to deep dive. To be honest, it has always felt cozier to me than that of social media.
I didn’t want to be a “content creator,” just a writer and a musician, sharing my work with the world.
Thanks for being here and reading along!
Things I’m Loving Right Now:
Monin syrups and Ripple half-and-half creamer = the best at-home coffee I’ve ever made.
Bullet journaling. I started doing Ryder Carroll's method at the start of this year and have been LOVING it.
Learning more and more about music production! One of my biggest goals is to self-produce this year.
Sincerely,
Louise