I Want To Create A Positive Space — But That Doesn’t Mean I Won’t Be Real
Finding the balance between creating positive content, but avoiding becoming another creator exclusively posting content for the highlight reel.
There is no shortage of negativity in the world, and naturally, social media often reflects that. Heck, you don’t even need social media to know about the negativity that goes on in this world; all you have to do is catch a glimpse of the evening news or overhear a conversation at the grocery store or office. Social media is merely a platform where the worst of humanity can be put on display 24/7, and bad news is able to flow in an endless stream. You see the Karens who feel the need to gripe about something silly at a coffee shop, shamelessly filming their tantrum to post on TikTok. You see people constantly complaining about whatever trivial thing that came up in their day in a multi-tweet rant. You see people posting content that is downright triggering and even destructive. You are constantly being exposed to the injustice and horrors of the world while also seeing people be shamelessly heartless to the suffering of others. You see people who set out to cause harm just so they can get some attention. I could go on and on about the nastiness that you can easily find on social media, but I don’t think I have to; we all know about it.
With that said, before I go any further, I would like to say that I do not believe that social media is inherently bad. I strongly believe that social media is what you make of it. I strongly believe that social media can make a positive influence on someone’s life if they make positive use of it. Needless to say, while there is an abundance of negativity on social media, there is also an abundance of positivity as well. It is also no secret that the internet is also a wonderful place to make friends, explore your interests, find new hobbies, learn new things, and even find positive influencers who inspire you to be the best version of yourself. Heck, even something as simple as watching videos of cute cats and dogs can make your day after a crummy day at the office. I could go on and on about the positives about social media that the mainstream media tends to gloss over, and that older generations often pretend don’t exist. Social media can be a very fun and positive place once you learn to tune out the negative stuff. As a matter of fact, I even find myself using social media for self-care quite often.
So, with all of that in mind, a goal of mine as an aspiring content creator is to use my blog, social media platforms, and anything I choose to publish content on to create a positive space. I want my content to provide a small escape from all of the bad in the world. I want anyone who comes across my content to read my words and learn to believe in themselves, and become their best selves. I want to share helpful tips that can help my readers enrich their lives, boost their productivity, find joy in the little things, and simply live their life to the fullest. I want to share recipes that I think are yummy, style tips, the products that I love (and the ones that I don’t like to help save my readers money), my favorite makeup pallets, and fun things like that. I want to make people laugh. I want to create content that people can relate to, while setting a decent example for any potential followers. I think that you get the idea; I want to create positive content. However, on that same note, I also want to be real, and I don’t want my content to just be another highlight reel showcasing nothing but idealism.
My life is far from perfect, and I refuse to let anyone believe that it is. I’m also not a perfect person, and I don’t want anyone to assume that I am or even believe that I am. I have bad days, I do dumb things, and I sometimes struggle to find motivation, just like any other human. And you know what? I have no quarrels with sharing my less-than-perfect moments. I am also all for venting on social media when you need to, as long as it is done in a productive manner and isn’t causing harm. I wouldn’t go off on a tangent because the grocery store didn’t have strawberries that day or something silly like that, but I’m not going to keep the serious stuff inside, even if I do spare the exact details. Especially not if talking about something that I had gone through could potentially help somebody else. I will also comment on something that I have heard in the news when I feel compelled, and I will share my opinion. I will also speak out in fury in the wake of injustice. I refuse to be complicit for the sake of my content being happy-go-lucky. I refuse to seem like an opinion-less vanilla cupcake for the sake of seeming agreeable to everyone. I refuse to portray perfection in an imperfect world, a world that can be straight-up fucked up.
Am I going to make everything single tweet, blog post, and article about the awful things in this world? Of course not. I am not trying to be a news or political blogger. However, do not be surprised when I shout for my rights, for your rights, and for the rights of anyone who is at risk of losing their rights. Don’t be surprised when I go from tweeting about my latest Amazon purchase or the amazing smoothie I just had to the injustices in the United States. Don’t be surprised when I talk about my experience of having been in a toxic relationship after posting photos of my stationery collection. And on a less serious note, don’t be surprised if one day I post about finding your inner strength to ranting about having found a spider in the shower. My point is, while I want to create a positive space on all of the platforms I create content on, I still want to be a human. And you know what? I find that the best way to create a positive space is to be real, to speak up for what you believe in, and to not try to potray your life as being perfect.
