Permit me a tiny whine in light of recent events?
Normally I wouldnāt make a thing of this, but with Tumblr slowly going up in flames and people leaving left, right, and centre, this sort of thing really matters, and a recent scenario illustrates it particularly well, I think.Ā
I have a poll going for my dullahanĀ āchoose your own adventureā story which I decided to run as a thank you to you, my followers, when I hit 3k followers as a way for you to be involved in the creative process. And youāve delivered on the voting this time - itās only been up for 18hrs, and 111 of you have responded, which is a pretty high number, and in keeping with most of the other polls, save for a few.Ā
Thatās great! So whatās my point?
The post here on Tumblr only has 44 notes.Ā
The difference between those who voted, and those who showed their appreciation for the effort that I have put into this 37,595 word long story, is a vast gulf. Without that poll, I wouldnāt know that 111 people want to know what happens next. Iād think that only 44 people have engaged with the story.Ā
The point of this is not to whine about my little story not getting enough attention though. The point of this is for me to illustrate how important it is for people not to take creatorsā work and output for granted. If you like something, drop a like on the post! From a creatorās point of view, itās so disheartening to put stuff out there that people seem to want initially, only to see notes on posts wane, and engagement sputter out. It makes creators question their talents, and whether itās all worth it.Ā
At a time when Tumblr is burning to the ground around us, and people are fleeing for other platforms, I can guarantee that not showing support for the creators whose work you enjoy - be it art or writing or whatever - is a sure fire way to make sure they donāt bother to continue on other platforms.Ā
If you donāt show any appreciation, why should they bother continuing to put out all this for you, for free?
In the case of this story, I know (from having a rather unprofessional wobble on my Patreon) that there are folks who are keen, and I received an anon after the latest chapter saying how excited they were for the next part. I wonāt stop posting this story, but I want to let folks know that if you genuinely do like what people are creating for you and sharing with you for free, the least you can do is leave a like. It takes under a second after reaching the end of a post to tap/click that heart icon, and it does more than youāll ever realise for creatorsā self-esteem and self-worth. Reblogs are better, comments and inbox asks are also fabulous. If you donāt like where something is headed or a new direction something has taken (certainly of my works) then get in touch too! Constructively and politely given feedback is so much better than just losing folks to the void. Not everyone welcomes feedback, but I certainly do.Ā
Just a few personal ramblings on engagement with creators, especially in light of the mass-exodus from Tumblr lately, and the flocking of creators and consumers to alternative platforms.Ā
