Deflated egos
... and why every beginner content creator needs one.
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE # 222
Imagine the scenario: you finally hit “publish” on your first piece of content.
Maybe it’s a LinkedIn post, or a YouTube video, or maybe even an article on your new blog.
You’ve put your heart and soul into this piece.
You’re proud of it and of your skills as a new content creator.
You imagine the flood of engagement it’s going to generate—the waves of likes and shares, the comments praising your genius.
You post it and then check back on it almost religiously, looking for the adulation that is surely yours.
Hours go by.
Then days.
Then weeks.
You’re crestfallen.
The response to your amazing piece of content is a big, fat nothing.
A few pity likes from friends and your mom.
Maybe a bot comment saying “Great post! 👍” with a dubious-looking link to who knows where.
But other than this: silence. Nada. Zilch.
No viral moment. No wave of adulation. Seriously? WTF?
So, with the realization that no one appreciates your brilliance, your ego deflates like a balloon left out overnight.
NEWSFLASH: This is a good thing.
Why a deflated ego is good for you
Most beginner creators fail because they expect immediate validation.
They think their first draft deserves to go viral; they believe their first video should trend, and that their first tweet should practically spark a revolutionary movement.
But here’s the truth: your early posts and articles, your initial videos and podcast episodes, they are all going to be bad.
Not “bad” as in worthless—bad as in unrefined. Bad as in lacking polish and shine.
Bad as in you’re stumbling around in the dark, finding your way—just like every other beginner content creator. That feeling of defeat, that deflated ego is the universe’s way of telling you:
you’re not special (yet).
haven’t earned attention (yet).
that you’ve got lots of room for improvement.
The blow to your ego serves to keep you in check; it serves to reign you in, to keep you grounded, and to keep you humble.
Every content creator experiences some sort of kick in the shins like this. They may not talk about it, but it happens and the sooner it happens to you (and the sooner you learn from it and accept it) the better for your long terms prospects as a content creator.
That’s because you need to know about the two paths:
The two paths after the first flop
The quitter’s path
You take the lack of reaction to your post personally. You rage against the injustice. You rail against the lack of acceptance of your brilliance!
You decide “Screw this! Content creation isn’t for losers and assholes!”
You disappear from the scene, convinced no one cares about your opinion, or that they’re all idiots and imbeciles for having rejected you!
The creator’s path
You ask: why did this flop? Why isn’t anyone listening or paying attention? What did I do wrong and how can I adjust my approach to be better next time?
Instead of insisting your way is best, you study what works and you learn from it before then applying your newfound knowledge to your next piece.
You iterate, you improve, you tweak and adjust, and you try again. And again. And again. And you keep at it, no matter what—week in, week out.
The difference between a failed creator and a successful one isn’t necessarily one of having talent—it’s more to do with stubbornness. Not stubbornness about being right, but stubbornness about getting better. It’s about commitment to the work and to the process rather than looking at short term highs as major accomplishments.
How to use your deflated ego as fuel
Kill the “I deserve more” mindset
No one owes you attention. In fact, no one owes you anything. Deal with it.
You earn attention by being relevant, interesting, helpful, or entertaining. And by showing up, week after week.
Don’t sulk, study
Instead of complaining that your post didn’t go viral, ask:
What do successful creators do differently and how can I learn from them?
How can I make my next piece 1% better? And how can you make the pice after that another 1% better. And so on, piece by piece, improving with each thing you publish.
Fall in love with the process
If you only create for self aggrandizement and applause, you’ll crash and burn.
Create because you enjoy the act itself—the writing, the filming, the thinking.
The ego always deflates eventually
Even the biggest creators started out with with crickets—no audience, no comments, no likes.
The difference between them and you? It’s nothing special, it’s simply that when they hit roadblocks, they reshaped them into stepping stones and they kept going.
So if your first (or your tenth) piece bombs, congratulations—you’re right on schedule.
Now, get back to work.
Question for you: What’s one piece of content you made that flopped—and what did you learn from it? (Hit reply. I read every response.)
As always, thanks for reading.
—Gary
Feel free to follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn
P.S. If you found this useful, share it with another creator who needs an ego check (in a nice way). Want more unfiltered takes on content creation? Join my newsletter. No fluff, just the stuff that works.
Next time on Shaking the Tree: How to be less egotistical
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the U.K., Gary Bloomer is a writer, branding advocate, marketing specialist, and an award-winning graphic designer.
His design work has been included in Creative Review (one of the UK’s largest design magazines). Since 2009, he has answered over 5,000 marketing and business questions in the Know-How Exchange of MarketingProfs.com, placing him among the top 3% of contributors. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.