Embrace the Cringe: Finding My Way Back to Fun in Content Creation
- Happy Monday
- Apr 9, 2025
- 3 min read
Before we get started… these are the videos 😬😬😬
TikTok has been pushing its "repost video as story" feature lately, and honestly, it's been forcing me down memory lane. Some memories are great, others... well, today was particularly cringe-worthy. Three videos popped up from when I first started on the platform, long before I'd found my groove. There was one of me pretending to be a newscaster, one of me attempting to rap (yikes!), and another just playing around with a random filter.
The Unexpected Lesson in Awkwardness
Watching them was... difficult. Seriously cringe. But underneath the awkwardness, there was a huge lesson waiting for me. See, over time and through countless hours of making content, I eventually did find my stride. I developed a style that worked, a format that produced consistent results if I posted enough.
When Success Becomes Stifling
It was effective, but man, was it time-consuming. The bigger problem? That rigid process started to make creating – even sharing my art, which I love – feel like a chore. It squeezed the fun out of it. Seeing those early, awkward videos reminded me of something crucial: It's okay to try things. It's okay to be weird. It's okay to be cringe. More importantly, it reminded me why I started this whole thing in the first place.
Remembering the "Why": The Happy Monday Tribe
There's a reason my brand is called "Happy Monday Tribe." I wanted to build something I genuinely enjoyed, a pursuit I could wake up excited about every day. While creating art is a massive driver for me and always brings me joy, the content creation part became the hurdle. Those old videos, cringe and all, reminded me of the sheer joy I felt back then, just experimenting and having fun.
Putting "Me" Back into My Content
So, I'm making a shift. I want to get back to that playful energy. I plan on putting my face on camera more, putting myself out there, and just focusing on having fun again. At the end of the day, I am the brand, not just the duck paintings or a specific video format. That means I can do whatever I want, because the brand is about being me and enjoying the process.
If that means being vulnerable sometimes, I'll share a moment of vulnerability. If it means being goofy and crazy, then let's get goofy and crazy. If it means just showcasing my art, I'll do that too. But the key is, I'm going to do it in a style that's uniquely me and feels right for the moment. I know the excitement won't always be there for every single post, but I believe that continuously trying new things and experimenting will keep the part of this equation I struggle with – the content creation itself – fresh and exciting.
Owning My Unique Blend
And look, not to toot my own horn, but I think I have a personality many people can relate to. I also have a talent and skill in my art that people have shown they genuinely enjoy and respect. If I can successfully marry those two things – my authentic self and my art – I think I can carve out a unique path that others can't easily replicate. I know I'm not the most polished professional out there. I know I'm not the single best artist. But I am uniquely me, and people seem to connect with that.
A Note to Fellow Creators: It's Okay!
So, for anyone out there struggling with content creation, feeling burnt out, or scared to put yourself out there: Just remember, it’s okay to be weird. It’s okay to be cringe. It’s okay to be YOU. But you have to actually put it out there. Your authenticity can't shine through if you keep it hidden.
Sometimes you need to set aside the technical stuff, the perfect format, the analytics obsession, and just focus on keeping things fresh and enjoyable for you. Besides, you never know what spontaneous, weird, or "cringe" idea might just be the next thing that resonates and helps you blow up.
Let's get back to having fun with it.
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