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.

I needed to remind myself that always. I’ve been stressing over deadlines all week. Sometimes I just need to pause and breathe. Life is not all about hustling alone. Go take a walk, take chilled Coke, or just sleep.

For me, it’s photography. I love snapping random things, street lights, people at the bus stop, and rainy roads. But I never take it seriously. I even get old DSLR left on my shelf, it's gathering dust there. Maybe this December I will finally start. Sometimes you just need justa a little motivation to begin.

I also wish we had AI that could understand our creative flow better. Like when you’re burnt out, it’ll help you plan content ideas based on your past interactions.. We need something built for real creators, not just marketers.

I’d tell my past self, “Post that video, don't be afraid.” I used to delete content because I felt shy. I’d also say don’t chase trends too much, just build your own videos because one loyal audience surpasses 10k random views. I learnt this through experience.

I do listen to podcasts more these days and I'm getting interested. It's quite easier to set up. But I still like videos as well. It’s just that videos need more data and set up.

I’ve been planning to start mine, but my tools are not complete yet. I like how podcasting gives you space to just talk freely, no need for plenty of editing like YouTube.

I saw that news too and I just shake my head. That is the major reasons why I am been careful with what I share online. Even big companies slip up sometime and that’s crazy. I think the users also need to reduce how much info we give these apps.

AI is just a tool, it's never a replacement for human creativity. It helps you think faster, but it will lack that human touch. I once tried using it for full captions, but I didn't like it, I had to rewrite everything.

Mine was from one senior YouTuber. He told me, “Don’t create for the algorithm, create for humans.” That thing stuck with me. I stopped copying trending styles and started doing what feels real to me. Funny enough, engagement increased after that.

Exactly, I’ve been there too. I once made a skit that I knew would trend, even my friends said “this one will definitely grow !” Guess what? It flopped badly 😂. Sometimes the simple ones you post without thinking would give you the best views.