This week I’m exploring 10 common reasons we don’t create and share our content, even when we want to. These are the blocks that cause us to hesitate or think twice about putting ourselves out there, and while there’s no easy solution for all of them, being able to recognize them when they come up will be a huge help.
And, to balance things out, I’m also sharing 10 reasons we DO ultimately create and share our content. Lean into these when you’re feeling discouraged!
What are some reasons you stop short of creating or sharing your content? Did I miss anything on this list? I invite you to share in the comments below. Enjoy the episode!
Episode References
Episode 12 on Decision Fatigue
Below is a transcript of the episode for your reference—please excuse grammatical errors!
Welcome back, creators. Thanks for tuning in to episode 16 of the Mindful Content Creator podcast. This week I'm sharing 10 reasons we don't create and share our content. And just to be sure we balance things out, I'm also going to share 10 reasons we do create and share our content.
This list is inspired by some topics we've already explored in past episodes, and I'm sure the others will become the focus of future episodes in time.
But these are all very common blocks that we need to overcome in order to keep creating and sharing our content mindfully.
This list comes from my own experience and also from what I've seen with my clients. And I'll be honest, a lot of the time that I've spent with my clients has been focused on talking about the content that they want to create, and not as much time on the actual creation of it. I think that speaks volumes about where a lot of us are at with content creation. It can be really fun to talk about or we might feel like we really need to talk it out. But it's maybe a little less enjoyable or easy to actually go and do it.
And it's not because we don't want to do it. That's a misconception. It reminds me of how my mom used to drive me crazy as a kid. And she would say things like, “Well, if you really wanted to do it, you would do it.” I would push back against that one because there's a whole lot of reasons we don't do things that we want to do, and that includes mental and emotional blocks and patterns that we've been holding on to for our whole lives. It also stems from conditioning that we need to create a certain type of thing in a certain way or for certain reasons.
Sitting and talking about the content that we want to create with people we trust can certainly be helpful. At times. In moderation, as with many things. But when we start to spend the majority of our time talking about the things we want to do or create and less on the actual action of creation, to the point that we maybe never created or finished the thing, I think there's something deeper going on there that you might want to poke at a little—especially if it's something that you really want to create or wish later that you had just created. There's something there that is worth investigating.
Sitting down and planning out this episode made me realize that the real work for myself and for my clients is removing those blocks. It's not so much that we need to talk out or plan our creations or content. We really just need to move these blocks out of our way so we can feel like we're in flow again.
And I've had clients that tell me that our sessions feel a little bit like business therapy. So I guess that indicates what's going on here as well! I think going into these sessions with my clients through that lens of needing to remove these blocks would actually be more helpful than, you know, phrasing it as like a planning time.
So that's something I'm going to be thinking on now that I've brought all of this up in this episode, but that is a topic for another time! Today I really want to focus on those top 10 reasons or blocks really to creating and sharing our content. And these are in no particular order. The degree to which you feel each one of these will be different for everyone.
Number one: Fear of rejection and judgment. We just talked about rejection in the last episode, so you probably remember that, and if you want to go deeper and you didn't listen to episode 15, go ahead and go back. But this is a fear of rejection from others and the algorithm, which we all love so much We have this fear that we'll put our stuff out there and no one will see it or like it or care, or even in recent experience, we haven't gotten the traction we want, so now we're afraid to keep doing it.
And honestly, I face this fear every time I post on Instagram. I don't know what has happened in the last few months, but none of my stuff seems to be very visible to people and very few people interact with it. But I've decided personally not to give up and to make sure that I keep putting out what I want to put out and not getting, you know, stuck going down that rabbit hole of like what's trending and how I can change things to, to make it more visible.
I just want to keep going with my gut, with my intuition. And just seeing where it goes. But this is a big fear for a lot of us. And also, the fear of judgment. There's the the judgment from others outside of us, and it might be the people even closest to us. If, you know, we've recently made a big change, maybe you've started your own business, I know this was something for me, that, you know, the people who are closest to me or who even worked with me in the past are kind of like watching and maybe judging like, “Oh, that's why she left her job, to do this?” So if you're feeling that too, that is a really common fear. And that's another one that in time we will all learn to get past, but it does take some work and some patience.
Number two: fear of being seen. We have fears behind what happens if we do finally get that big community, that big audience that we really wanted. It becomes a lot to respond to and manage, so some of us have blocks around, “Oh, can I handle that? Am I ready for that? Am I ready to be seen on that level, to have that many eyes on me?”
And you might not even realize that this is a fear, but it's. you know, underlying, it's in your subconscious, and so maybe it sort of causes you to hesitate and pull back before you put things out there. Maybe you start to edit things a little more than you would like to or normally would, and that's really stemming from that fear of being seen.
Number three: imposter syndrome and a lack of confidence. I think these go hand in hand, where you don't feel confident that you know enough to say or declare yourself an “expert.” I don't like that word because I feel like it's just, it's too easy for people to declare themselves experts.
And I think that's why a lot of us who are more genuine about it feel really weird going on, you know, these platforms and kind of, putting ourselves center stage and saying that we know things, or we're a teacher, or we're a guide, and you start to second guess yourself a lot before you post the content.
I know that sometimes I experience this—I experienced it with this podcast when I wanted to sit down and create it, and I thought, “Who wants to listen to me talk about being a content creator?” It's not like I have, you know, thousands upon thousands of followers on Instagram, but that was something I had to get past. And part of what helped me get through that was to see myself more on the same level as the people that I'm bringing in, that we're all kind of on this journey together, and we're figuring it out together. And I know I talked about this in an earlier episode, with your quote unquote audience being a former version of yourself. I do think that is true with what I'm doing here, and so I have to kind of remind myself that it's okay if I don't have all the answers, and it's okay for you to not have all the answers either.
Sometimes we just want to share what's coming through to us, coming through our hearts, through our intuition, and there can be valuable insights there. We don't have to declare ourselves or prove ourselves to be an expert. We can just be a human being moving through this experience and wanting to share that with other people.
Number four: decision fatigue. And we've talked about this in an earlier episode, too. This is when we have so many ideas that it's hard to decide in the moment, when we have all this time, what are we going to focus on, what are we going to prioritize. A lot of this stems from a lack of structure. And it certainly, it's great to flow, but sometimes you need a little bit of parameters to help you get into that space so that you can create freely. If you want to go deeper on this one, go back to the episode about decision fatigue. I am not remembering at the moment what number it is, but I will link it in the show notes.
Number five: burnout. We've been overdoing it. We're obsessed with quote unquote consistency, something we talked about in episode 13 with Cassie. This will lead you down a path of just doing too much too fast and not enjoying it. And that's when suddenly content creation, even though we have important messages to share, becomes a chore, becomes homework, and we don't want to do it anymore. So this can completely stop us in our tracks and stop us from sharing important things that we really need to share.
Number six: overthinking and perfectionism. I am guilty of both of these things, and I think that they're hand-in-hand, which is why I put them together. But overthinking everything that we're going to put out. Editing it constantly. I see this with my clients too. I love them dearly but I have watched so many times where they have sat with a piece of content and edited it over and over again, asked for a gazillion changes to make it, you know, exactly what they think or hope for. But then once they get that thing, then they realize, oh no, now I want to try something else.
This happens a lot, it's really common, and I think it really stems, ultimately, from that fear. We think that we need to show a perfect version of ourselves to the world, a perfect version of our content. But that often just trips us up and causes us to delay sharing that content and sometimes not even share it at all.
Some people even hold back from sharing because they don't have perfect polished photography, perfect polished graphics, perfect polished branding. I feel like these are things that come as we get bigger and bigger and grow, and we, you know, are bringing in more money from what we're doing.
And this is where it's tough because you see all these corporations, these, uh, solopreneurs who already have kind of hit it big—they've got these beautiful polished things. And they're selling to you, well, it's so important to have all these polished things. You need this. It's part of your business. It's how you gain credibility. That's lovely, but they don't mention what it was like for them when they truly first started out and didn't have much of a budget. You do have to start somewhere, and that place is full of imperfection. You just don't always see that from other people.
Number seven: overwhelm. We get overwhelmed by the number of ideas that we have. We're overwhelmed by the number of new technologies or platforms that we need to learn. We're just trying to do too much, and sometimes it can feel like the list is a mile long, but as always, taking things one step at a time helps.
Having a lot of ideas isn't necessarily a bad thing. You just need to learn how to keep them organized, and to allow yourself to come back to them if you don't have time to get to them right away.
And I know I've mentioned this on previous episodes, but I keep a running list of all of my ideas. I categorize them. I keep them in the Evernote app. I also use the Notes app on my iPhone. So there are ways to kind of keep track of these things. And you just really have to learn to prioritize. A lot of times you think that something's going to take a ton of time and then when you actually sit down to do it, it really doesn't take a lot of time. So try to be aware of when you might kind of just be blocking or sabotaging yourself because you're a little bit afraid of having to do a task that maybe you're not so good at.
And so that kind of goes hand in hand with the next one, which is . . .
Number eight: lack of knowledge or resources. I see this a lot with my clients, and this is why they hire me really, is to step in and do some of those things that they don't know how to do. They aren't really sure how to do something or how to best do it. And I think reaching out and delegating is a good thing, but if you aren't able to, and say you don't have the funds to do these things, this can completely stop you in your tracks.
So I encourage you, if you're someone in that position where you aren't able to pay or hire someone to help you out, to try and find the simplest way to accomplish what you need to accomplish without putting too much pressure on yourself to have it be perfect. You know, you just need something to help you get started, get moving. That's why I love tools like Canva because you can teach it to yourself. For video editing and for podcast recording like I'm doing right now, I would recommend using Descript. That is a great tool and app that makes editing very, very easy. Ask around and see what tools are really good for DIY style stuff and don't be afraid to play around.
Again, you do not have to be perfect. It's okay to put out things out in the beginning that maybe aren't, you know, the most ideal, but it's better than not sharing anything at all. And this also goes hand in hand with . . .
Number nine: fear of learning or doing or trying new things. There have been many times where I've brought up to a client something that they could do, some little type of enhancement. And it's usually related to something technology, or that would require them to use a piece of technology or a tool that they are unfamiliar with.
And immediately they get defensive and say to me, “Hold on. I don't have time to do that. That would be lovely, but I don't have the time for that. I don't know how to do that, and it would take too long and . . .” and like all these excuses just, you know, keep flowing out. And I'm always taken aback, a little bit by surprise because to me, you know, that's not really something that seems like that heavy of a lift, but to them it's kind of scary. It's not something they're familiar with playing with. And so I have to remind myself of that when I say this to clients and they get defensive, and so that way I don't take offense at their defensiveness.
But I do think that if you have those moments where you feel like that, and you're you say “I can't do it I can't do that!” Go a little bit deeper. There's something underneath all of that. Why are you so afraid of that particular thing? And often once we actually sit down to do it and learn it, it's not so bad, but I think people just get stuck before they even start, thinking about how much time it might take. But in reality, if you just took that time upfront, it would save you so much time later. I know that's a hard one, but it often is worth it in the end.
This also stems from being stuck in a pattern of, “This is what I've always done.” That's another common one that I see with clients. They don't want to break out of the patterns or the routines that they had previously. But as things evolve, as their business evolves, sometimes making those changes is necessary in order to make things flow better in the long run.
Number 10: We can't see the value in it. We are trained to look at everything as how will this lead to me making money, how will this give me more stability, etc, etc. This usually stems from a lack of clarity on our overall why, our inspiration. At this point, content has just become a chore, a means to an end. We're not actually tapping into our creativity.
So if this is happening to you, I encourage you to go back to that why, why you are creating. Get quiet, maybe pause on creating content for a while so that you can go back within and find that again. Maybe you need to revise it, maybe it's changed, but go back and really sit with it and figure out, why am I doing this? Why am I wanting to share?
Okay, so these are all the reasons that we can stop ourselves from creating and sharing.
And I don't have the perfect solution to all of these, I'm really sharing this more because it's good for us to be aware of them, to spot them when they're coming up, so that we can kind of stop ourselves, take a pause, step back, and say, “Okay, I see what's happening here.” How can I get myself to move through this? Maybe you need to sit and feel it for a while, and then figure out the next best step forward.
Okay, I want to balance all of this out with 10 reasons that we do create. I want to end this on a positive note. I feel this is important, and we'll all feel maybe a little bit more inspired. I don't want us all to feel like we're just facing a bunch of blocks that we've got to push through. Sometimes by reframing it and looking at what really motivates and inspires us, that can actually help us move forward better than thinking about all the blocks that could get in our way.
Number one: a deep knowing of our messages and our why, as I was just talking about, which leads to deep commitment and devotion, which we've talked about before on the podcast as well. So, really being 100 percent in that why and moving in that direction, every step of the way with that.
Number two: feeling an inner calling, a divine knowing, that deeper sense of inspiration. When you feel as if you are being called by the unseen, as we talked about with Cassie in episode 13, this can really inspire you to keep moving forward. It's about more than just you. There's so much that you need to share and that is being channeled through you, really, that you don't want to let anything get in your way.
Number three: a desire to change the world and to be of service. You know you have something to share, you know that you have valuable messages to get out there that could really create change for the people around you. And so this fuels you each day to create and share.
Number four: a desire to support our communities and teach. When you see that there is a large group of people in need or there's a piece of education that's missing from a greater curriculum, so to speak, and you have that piece, that's going to help you understand that you're building something greater. Every small part matters. You showing up and sharing that content matters.
Number five: it makes us happy to create. This is a huge thing for me, personally. I have stopped creating so many times because I thought that maybe no one was interested, and I wasn't getting enough traction fast enough. But every time I stop creating, I'm unhappy. So I had to really reconcile this all with myself and say it's okay if, you know, I don't get the numbers that I think I should be getting. What matters is that I keep creating and sharing, and that I follow what's in my heart and my intuition.
Number six: a deep belief in our own voice and that it matters, a belief that our voice is needed and it's a time for us to be heard. This goes along with that fear of being seen that I think holds some people back, but if you have this deep belief that now is the time for you to share your voice, this will help you move forward.
So maybe when that fear does creep up, say, “No, this is my time, I'm ready to share, I know that what I have to share is valuable.”
Number seven: understanding our story and the power of stories overall. This is a big one for me. I think that whenever we share our stories, when other people share their stories, this leads to greater empathy, greater understanding. It helps all of us move forward on our path, even if the experiences and the stories are drastically different. Actually, it's better if they're drastically different at times. It gives us another perspective.
And then if we hear other stories like ours, that can be really affirming and really comforting, and we feel a lot less alone. So if you have this understanding that your story could help somebody else move along in their story, that's going to keep you going.
Number eight: we are encouraged or have support from our community or other creators. This is huge. Whenever I get, you know, a comment from someone that's encouraging, it really does fuel me forward. So thank you to any of you that have reached out and said, “Oh, this really impacted me.” That has really helped me continue on this journey.
So this is a good reminder that if you see something you like, you read something you like, it resonates with you, try to stop and tell the person. I know it's the way that social and everything is structured and even emails, we just kind of go through them quickly, and we move on to the next thing. But if something really hit and resonated with you, let that person know. It could make a world of difference.
Number nine: we see the long term benefit of building a solid foundation. So even in those beginning days when it feels like no one's listening, and it's crickets coming back to you, you know that you're building that solid foundation. And these early days are practice. That's kind of how I look at it for myself. I'm figuring out my style, my voice, I'm settling in. And there's really no way to do that other than by doing and getting the stuff out there.
Number 10: we see what's missing and the gaps and we know how to fill them in. I touched a little bit on this on number 4 with our desire to support our communities. We see a need out there that's not being fulfilled, and we know that we can fulfill that. We can step in and help people see a better path forward.
So those are the 10 reasons we do create and share our content.
And one thing that I want to share, and I'm sure that you have heard this before, I've heard it from a lot of places, but I liked this concept: When we get to those moments of feeling like, “This is just so hard, I don't know if I can keep doing this.” Or, you know, if you have those moments when you have to start learning something new and that really scares you, try reframing it as, “I'm so glad I get the opportunity to do this.” Because we wouldn't have the opportunity to do any of these things if we hadn't agreed at some point that we were going to step up and we were going to share. We were going to be creators. We were going to create.
If you had a point in your life where you were not creating, which I definitely did, when I was working in corporate, I wasn't creating my own stuff nearly enough, you know what that feeling is like.
So now I try to look at it, even when I have tough moments, I'm still so glad that I took this step and that I even have the opportunity to do this because I could have chosen a different path, and I could still not be creating or sharing what I really was meant to share.
So remember, ultimately, that this is a gift and you absolutely can move through those blocks.
I hope this list has been helpful for you or affirming for you, at least getting some comfort that you aren't alone in all of this. And hopefully you're feeling a little bit more inspired to keep going if you're hitting a rough patch, which I have had myself lately. And so I want to also take a moment to thank everyone who is listening, who is subscribed on Substack. There aren't a lot of you right now, if I'm being completely transparent, but I am so glad that each and every one of you is here. You are all the originals, as I like to think of it. So thanks so much for joining me on this journey, for being with me, for listening to me, even as I figure things out and maybe stumble my way through some of these podcasts. I am really glad you're here.
And I have a feeling I know a lot of you, but for anyone that I haven't met or talked to personally, please feel free to introduce yourself. I'd love to know who you are, what you're working on, the type of content that you're creating. It's just such an honor to have you here, so it would be really nice to know who you are. So feel free to message me on Instagram, I'm @themysticalfairy, fairy spelled F A R R E Y. You can also reply to my emails through Substack.
And if you have anything to share after this episode, if there are other blocks that I didn't bring up, I'm sure that I missed some, something that you may encounter frequently and want to share or discuss, please feel free to bring that up over on Substack, share that with our community, and we'll get into a discussion about that.
Thanks again for joining me this week, and I will see you for the next episode. Happy creating.
EP 16: 10 Reasons We Don't Create & Share Our Content