Hi Friends!
One of the biggest lessons I have learned from creating daily content for the last 8 months… is that my best content is always on the other side of my comfort zone.
Taking risks and being willing to put yourself out there in a real, raw way can have a profound impact on the quality of your posts. Why? Because you go from just adding more noise to the steemisphere – to finding your unique voice and actually producing content that people can relate to.
I spoke about this in my talk at the Steem Creators Conference and framed it as finding your “Close your eyes and submit” moment. I was shocked at how many people came up to me at the conference saying that was one of their biggest takeaways from the conference. I was even more shocked when people started sending me articles after the conference saying it was their “Close their eyes and submit” post!
What was my First “Close my Eyes and Submit” Moment?
I had been on the platform for several months posting on a variety of topics – but mostly doing music covers. One day I got a crazy idea to cover “Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira and actually re-create the cover art. I was definitely putting myself out there more than I ever had before! I was nervous to post it and literally had to close my eyes when I hit submit.
Here it is… This photo is honestly still a little embarrassing to share!
You know what happened?
The post BLEW up. It was definitely my most successful post to date in terms of comments, votes, re-steems and general vibes around the post.
Why was it so successful?
It wasn’t because everyone on Steemit loves Shakira so much. It’s because I was letting down my guard and taking a risk! People LOVE to feel that energy because it is so much more relatable! It’s also a breath of fresh air in a sea of content.
You don’t have to be the best at what you do…but if you show up and put your real self out in the world – people will feel that energy and be more excited about engaging with your content.
Pushing Your Boundaries is One of the Best Things You Can Do
Let’s take a step back from Steemit for a second. Think about what areas of your life make you feel anxious, scared, or nervous. Chances are, there is something you could do to stare that fear right in the face and start to move past it. In the video, I give an example of an everyday activity that I feel legitimate anxiety around… and how just doing it is helping me to overcome it.
In my experience, once you start pushing your boundaries in one area of life – it permeates throughout the rest of your life. By doing that one hard, scary thing… you might be surprised at how much it opens you up creatively.
What is Your Close Your Eyes and Submit Moment?
Do you have a post that you felt nervous to share, but decided to put it out into the world anyway? Did it feel good to let it out? I would just encourage everyone to think about what that post might look like for you. It could be finally making a vlog for the first time, or sharing a story that is a bit vulnerable, or recording yourself singing or playing music to share.
I hope you guys find this post helpful or encouraging in some way! Let me know if you have any questions regarding what I covered in this post. I’d love to hear from you if you decide to take up the challenge and make a “Close your eyes and submit” post!
Xo, Lea
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