The power to delete
Why ditching stuff that no longer serves you can make you a better content creator
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE # 287
Here’s a point we don’t talk about enough: the act of deleting old content as an act of creative strength.
Think about this for a moment: what good does it do you as a content creator to hang on to articles or videos that no longer reflect who you've become? Likewise for the audience you want to create? How does your older, less relevant stuff help them?
Because we’re so paralyzed of losing our digital history, we hoard useless, directionless content when what we ought to be doing is deleting it.
Your public portfolio is not an attic or a basement—it’s not a space in which you cram every idea we’ve ever had. This isn’t strategic content creation or content curation. It’s clutter. And where there is clutter there’s potential for audience confusion.
There’s profound power in what you choose to remove. t
The Philosophy of Curated Ownership isn’t just about preservation—it’s about pruning. It’s the intentional, sometimes difficult, process of clearing away what no longer serves your purpose or your audience, so that what remains can shine. Your body of work should be a carefully tended garden, not an overgrown lot.
Think about it.
Every piece of content you leave out in public is a signal telling new visitors who you are and what you stand for today.
That passionate but poorly reasoned take from 2015?
That viral-for-the-wrong-reasons meme series?
That client work in an industry you’ve proudly moved on from?
They’re not just old posts; they’re active ambassadors of a version of you that no longer exists. And whether you know it or not, they’re having conversations with your audience without your consent.
But by choosing to delete out-of-date material you’re taking full creative control, and when you do this, it communicates three vital things:
Clarity of purpose. When you remove the static, your core message becomes undeniable. You are telling your audience, “This way. This is the path I’m on right now. This is the value I’m currently providing.” You are not a museum of your own evolution: you are a guide pointing clearly toward the future you’re building. Deletion cuts through the noise and points toward your current North Star.
Respect for your audience’s time. Because your audience trusts you to guide them, by leaving them to wade through years of outdated ideas, inactive links, and retired philosophies you’re breaching that trust. Curating by removal is a service. It says, “I have done the work for you. What you see here is relevant, actionable, and representative of my best current thinking.” It’s an act of respect that builds deeper loyalty.
Confidence in your present trajectory. Holding onto everything can be a symptom of fear—the fear that you might need that old traffic, the fear that you need that old identity as a fallback. Deleting what’s misaligned and that’s no longer serving you is a bold declaration that you’re moving forward with commitment and conviction. You are not hedging your bets; you’re all in. Your confidence then comes from your present craft and from your future vision, not from the security blanket of a crowded archive.
This isn’t about erasing your journey or pretending you sprang forth fully formed. It’s about editing your story for impact and memorability. You can acknowledge your past and champion your growth, all while pointing your audience toward an archive of your old stuff. Just be willing to admit that was then and that this is now. It’s not necessary to give every outdated draft a permanent billboard.
Keep the milestones. Celebrate your past wins. Be proud of the things you’ve accomplished. Keep the pieces that, while perhaps simpler, clearly show the seed of your current philosophy and that reinforce how you’ve grown as a content creator.
But have the courage to archive your old stuff, to unpublish it if necessary, and to permanently delete anything that distracts from your mission, or that misrepresents your values, or that talks to an audience about things you’ve outgrown, or that you no longer wish to serve.
Your digital space is your territory.
Curate it with the ruthless love of a visionary.
Defend it as you see fit.
Sometimes, a clean, focused, and intentional body of work speaks louder than a crowded, conflicting series of disconnected ramblings. It shows you know who you are, where you’ve come from, what you’ve learned, what you can let go of, who you’re for, and where you’re going.
And those sorts of statements are the most powerful statements a creator can make.
As always, thanks for reading.
—Gary
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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: The power of choosing your own pace
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.