1stop

This one is so difficult because it's easy to lose your creative spark when you’re chasing bills. I learned to separate “creating for joy” and “creating for money.” I do client work during the week, then my personal projects on weekends. That balance keeps me sane. If you don’t protect your creativity, you would so things amidst and burnout will set in.

To be honest, it’s not as complicated as people make it sound. Just write naturally, include your keywords smartly, and make sure the content actually helps people. I used to overthink SEO until I realized Google just wants value. A lot of people love straight talk, so give them that and sprinkle your keywords naturally in your content. That's all!

I once turned old bottles into flower vases with just paint and rope and people thought I bought them from a fancy store. Upcycling just needs imagination. If you are creative, you won't waste a thing. Before you throw something away, look at it twice, that trash might be your next masterpiece. Plus, it saves money and helps the planet too. So, that's a win-win.

For me, Google Calendar and Todoist are lifesavers. I won't lie, I used to forget deadlines anyhow. But with reminders and a little discipline, things actually improve. You don’t even need paid tools, just use what works for you. Sometimes I still write my daily goals on paper and that has been an old habits of mine.

I mostly use Pexels and Unsplash. Those two sites really save the day. You will just type any keyword like “Italian food” and boom, you’ll find clean, high-quality photos that you can use. I remember when I used Google Images that year, one client nearly drag me for using copyrighted picture. It's always better to play safe and stay original.

For beginners, I will indulge you to start with Canva. It's simple to use and if doesn't stress you out. It’s easy, and even if you’ve never designed before, you’ll feel like a pro in minutes. I used it to design flyers for my cousin’s small business and people thought I hired a real designer 😂.

These algorithms behave like mood swings sometimes 😅. I focus on audience first, though. If the people relate to your contents, they’ll help push it naturally. But you can’t totally ignore the system either. To be honest , the game is for those who can adapt.

I joined a creative Discord during lockdown, and it actually pushed me to start posting my work online. Before that, I was too shy. Now I’ve even gotten small gigs from people I met there. So, yeah, it’s not just “online friends” sometimes, they become your support system.

Me, I’d go for editing, I won't lie. I usually watch some creators turn boring clips into pure magic with transitions and sound effects. It’s like wizardry. If I could just wake up and edit like those pros, things will become easier for me.

I like to mix both. I post visuals on Insta and write threads on X. Some people connect better with words, others with visuals. So, I think the most interesting thing is to maintain a balance. I think if you can try to do both, you win all.

Sometimes I just want quick vibes, so short videos make sense. But when I’m in a chill mode, I prefer long-form podcasts or deep content. I actually connect with them better. It’s just sad how the algorithm keep pushing short contents more.

I started with just Instagram and YouTube, but before I knew it, I joined TikTok and Reddit. Now it’s like full-time work. I sometimes wonder how influencers manage it because being consistent across all is stressful.

I use Chromebooks, especially for editing videos. I like that I can build my own setup at a very cheap price compared to Mac. But to be fair, Mac is very smoothly when it comes to stability. If money is not a problem, I will love to switch someday.

Some of them take it too far. It’s like they forget that not everyone is comfortable being filmed. There’s prank and there’s harassment. I like the harmless ones like when it’s funny and nobody gets hurt. But once it turns disrespectful, I get angry and scroll past.

People get too comfortable dropping rude words online. Maybe it’s clout chasing or frustration, I don't even know. For me, if I don't like your content, I just scroll. But some people want to “teach” you a lesson with insults. That's a digital madness.