I can feel your pain and can imagine how awful it feels when you get no response for what you care and write about. It’s really pitty that nobody sees this. But listen, I really believe (not just to make you happy), that your writing is really good, including your topics and perapectives. For instance, I have photos that pull me out, otherwise it would be crickets. Maybe Substack is not for you (right now), but, listen to your heart - where do you feel joy?
Maybe you should just bump around for a while, and see if the doors will open. Cheers to that🥂
Thanks – that's the exact point. I care about what I write about. That's not how things seem to work on most of the Internet.
Your writing is definitely also worth reading, so even though you make absolutely wonderful pictures, your texts would work alone, if they had to. Together, it's a killer cocktail!
It is difficult to feel joy at all when being depressed, and I honestly would have liked that it was possible to talk about the deep and problematic things of the world. But, the deeper it gets, the further away people run.
Where I would like to be... You know what, I once bought a package of pencils and a sketch block, looking forward to going to the park each day, making sketches of the birds and trees and whatever is there (joggers, mostly). Getting as far away as possible from the computer. Then, perhaps later, when looking at the sketches and considering if some of them should become paintings, also find inspiration to write a story about what I saw, studied, and put to the paper.
There's less desperation in such a life, less expectation. Of course, I would starve and probably have to sleep on a bench in the park, since being away from the computer would take away any last chance I have for earning any money. But I would like it.
I think that running away from deeper topics that you mentioned has to do with the fact that people are actually not interested in content at all. However, they can consume a small amount of it with the hope of reciprocity.
And regarding your drawings and the fate of sleeping on a bench that goes with it… I wouldn’t say that things are bnw, so you could probably find a way out. What I think pretty surely is that everybody has to have a “sacred place”, a place where you are acting out from your authentic core. At least 1 hour or so a day…. and then to expand from that, if possible.
Good thoughts, and yes, I'll limit it to just an hour ;) I guess that it would allow for drawing one or two geese, which is enough for one day :)
It is worth thinking about the lack of interest in content. Because, honestly, why should people be interested in everything? There is so much going on in the world that it is impossible to take it all in, and we definitely cannot do much about most of it.
But on the other hand, the choices we then make about what to take in and what to rule out should better, to preserve our status as informed, be based on an open mind, not a strict conformance to old dogmas.
That balance has broken for many, when they automatically rule out writing that doesn't fit with their worldview, and it definitely has broken when it is all about a cool calculation of potential reciprocity.
But we are all guilty, I guess. It is very difficult to be genuinely different from everybody else.
It seems that this is the way how world operates. Our job as creators is to express ourselves authentically, and then it might break through and touch somebody… or it might not.
This saddens me, but I understand your reasoning. I really enjoy your posts and engagement (not numbers) has always been my priority here as well, so I can relate to your frustration. It's why I don't pressure myself to publish (especially now during a time where I have so much else going on) because pouring my heart into a piece takes energy and I often feel it could be wasted if no one responds. I mind this less when I have more time (and energy), but right now it would burden me, which is why I've stepped back a little. I hope to write more regularly again soon though and I, too, do it mainly for the discussions and insights, not for the applause.
Stepping back a little, as you say, when needed, is a self-preservation mechanism, and I'm glad that you can do that and make it work. That thing about balance isn't just fluff, it is very important. Some people can do it themselves and make it work, others may need the world to participate, which, during times as they are now, isn't likely to happen.
To me, social media is a burden by nature. I have, at times, enjoyed working with it, but it isn't a free space for people to communicate, it is strictly business, and a lot is hung up on that. There are rules, either mechanically enforced or applied on the fly by a team of censors, and these rules change all the time, which is frustrating for everyone. To me, it hurts that the people in it do not understand that they are people, so they do not behave in a free and communicative way – instead, they pick what they read carefully, so that nobody will believe anything wrong about them and so that the system will not punish them And they seem to grow an expectation that everybody else is similar, so that there is no need (or room) for deep and honest thoughts.
Some people, like you, are not completely entangled by that kind of thinking, and it is great. If more people on social media could be this free, it could be great using it.
I think that I understood along the way, first with Medium, later with Substack, that we are not where we believe that we are – these places are not for publishing stories and articles that will be considered as equal to those in newspapers or published books. It is kind of amateurs eve here, and when understanding that, it opens for a need, I think to also let the place offer everything else we need as amateurs, which is basically a feeling of community, and people acting according to it.
But that's where the system is broken. A large part of people here live in the illusion that this is something professional, something that should be looked at with profit in mind, nothing else, which leaves the rest of us as headless chicken that run around without really knowing where to go, and without getting anywhere in particular.
Hopes burst, dreams fade, and the great contact we can have with some people may be uplifting, but it doesn't repair the broken system, so joining in each day with a wish to do something like telling an important story often runs out into the sand, which for me is much more negative than it is for the business people here. It takes the spark out of the dream engine.
I hope that you'll find back to telling your stories, because they a special. You squeeze in lots of observations and details that make your stories feel like life. And life is an attractive thing to get out of a story! ;)
It is ironic (anf very sad) the way the internet and social media are celebrated as gateways to building community, but become the exact opposite due to profit-driven interests (on the side of their makers as well as on the side of users) and censorship (a lot of it self-imposed). It seems no platform is really able to break free of the constraints, no matter how well-intended they seem in the beginning ☹️
I was today thinking about all this stuff about "Buy American" or "Buy European", etc., which does pop up from time to time – I remember several such campaigns from my lifetime.
So, if I then decide to buy only Swedish things to support Swedish companies, they will, nevertheless, send their production to China, fire lots of people, close down the business completely, or sell off to a foreign buyer.
They are not loyal to me, the same way as I tried to be loyal to them. It never happens, because they are loyal to money only, and those who should get them, including management and owners. They'll give a damn about me and my loyalty, when first I have given them all my money.
The same thing happens for social media, because they are constructed the same way: they are industries, producing and selling services, and they'll give a damn what their loyal users were expecting to get out of it. They want to earn money, and everything else has no importance to them.
A lot of people are being dragged into the game of trying to become successful on social media, but it will always just be very few who actually manage to do that – and mostly some of the first, some of the invited, and some, where the platform owners are cheating with the numbers to make these super-influencers look successful.
It's part of the game to cheat and betray, and the intended victims for this are all the rest of us – the 99% non-successful, but loyal users.
We need to get back to something enthusiast-driven, which doesn't come in such a scale like a social medium. We need local magazines (if there are any printers left to print them), and clubs where members on equal terms participate in the work and decide on how things should be.
"Back to the roots" is something I dream of as well! One of my wildest fantasies revolves around an independent radio station, free from the pressure of large record companies pushing semi-talented performers and the demands of station sponsors... I wouldn't know how to go about it though?!
I would say: "Go for it!" – it's a great idea if you like to be on air, and if anybody still has a radio, there will be some of them who think like you and want to support you.
Actually, your approach could possibly wake up the idea of radio listening from its coma.
Getting going is easy: I once built a radio sender (from a kit, which was available in those good old electronics days), and it worked! I could send radio. With a bigger antenna, I could probably have reached a large area of the thinly populated place where I grew up.
There is a need for permissions, though, as the radio frequencies are sparse, so there will be a government body of some kind where you live, who administer these.
Politicians sometimes see the concessions as money making mechanisms: I once took part in developing an auctioning system for radio frequencies, meant to bring in billions. However, prices on such stuff are lower now, since the idea of radio has lost to the ideas of music streaming and Internet.
My best bet is that you find an existing radio station that has vacant time during the day (some hours when they do not send) and arrange with them that you can use their frequency during those hours. You may even be allowed to use their equipment, or some of it.
It's an exciting idea! I look forward to hearing what you find out and decide along the way.
I am sad to read this, Jorgen because I too, think you're a great writer and just yesterday I shared a little summary of your last post with a friend of mine. I also said if we were not on Substack, I could see us being friends :). I agree with Davor that maybe there's another Medium for you that resonates and I'm glad to hear you're open to that. You're right; "But, the deeper it gets, the further away people run." It takes courage to have your level of curiosity and willingness to go there. I will hope for a supportive community that "sees" what you have to offer. P.S. I like the idea of showing how to Substack. Your instructional content is strong!
Thank you, and don't be sad. Sometimes, going out is the solution when the air is bad inside. Opening a window could perhaps have been enough, but if people don't want that...
There isn't another suitable medium for writing, I'm afraid. There are some forums, for instance belonging to organizations for writers, but they have a similar set of rules and restrictions like all forums, especially the American ones (and they all are) – banning all kinds of talks about any sensitive topic, or even just hints toward such topics. And there is a lot that Americans consider sensitive, so it will not make me happy to join such a place.
Social media and places in that sphere, such as Medium and Vocal, are under various defined or implicit rulings of a wish for some to earn money, and they are strictly ruling out any writing that will not fit their worldview.
To be honest, I have a feeling that the battle for freedom of speech has been lost. There isn't even an interest for it anymore, let alone a wish to work for it.
But I can write in my diary, like Winston from 1984, expecting that even that will lead to consequences, and I can write articles and stories for myself, perhaps being published some day when a window does open.
I love that analogy, Jorgen. Smell the fresh air and see what transpires. There's also always the option of your own website, too. If there's another option for me to read your work, please let me know.
I'm sorry you haven't gotten many responses to your posts. I've also had few along the way, but I can tell that some people are reading my posts but not necessarily posting comments. Which is OK for me. Maybe my posts don't invite responses. Not sure.
I understand what you mean. The current state of politics is so depressing that I know I’m avoiding it in my posts. But not always … like one I posted about everyone being an immigrant (which Facebook wouldn’t post by the way). And a few others.
It sounds like you rest more in yourself than I do, which is a good thing. We really shouldn't measure our lives on what we get, but what we are able to give. That's another of my advices ;)
I just get very much depressed by the overall trend to favor the unreal over the real – and to avoid controversial topics, how important they may be for individuals or the society.
So, it takes the good out of it all, leaving me with a depression over the fact that it is like that. It's not you, it's me, I could say.
I can feel your pain and can imagine how awful it feels when you get no response for what you care and write about. It’s really pitty that nobody sees this. But listen, I really believe (not just to make you happy), that your writing is really good, including your topics and perapectives. For instance, I have photos that pull me out, otherwise it would be crickets. Maybe Substack is not for you (right now), but, listen to your heart - where do you feel joy?
Maybe you should just bump around for a while, and see if the doors will open. Cheers to that🥂
Thanks – that's the exact point. I care about what I write about. That's not how things seem to work on most of the Internet.
Your writing is definitely also worth reading, so even though you make absolutely wonderful pictures, your texts would work alone, if they had to. Together, it's a killer cocktail!
It is difficult to feel joy at all when being depressed, and I honestly would have liked that it was possible to talk about the deep and problematic things of the world. But, the deeper it gets, the further away people run.
Where I would like to be... You know what, I once bought a package of pencils and a sketch block, looking forward to going to the park each day, making sketches of the birds and trees and whatever is there (joggers, mostly). Getting as far away as possible from the computer. Then, perhaps later, when looking at the sketches and considering if some of them should become paintings, also find inspiration to write a story about what I saw, studied, and put to the paper.
There's less desperation in such a life, less expectation. Of course, I would starve and probably have to sleep on a bench in the park, since being away from the computer would take away any last chance I have for earning any money. But I would like it.
I think that running away from deeper topics that you mentioned has to do with the fact that people are actually not interested in content at all. However, they can consume a small amount of it with the hope of reciprocity.
And regarding your drawings and the fate of sleeping on a bench that goes with it… I wouldn’t say that things are bnw, so you could probably find a way out. What I think pretty surely is that everybody has to have a “sacred place”, a place where you are acting out from your authentic core. At least 1 hour or so a day…. and then to expand from that, if possible.
Good thoughts, and yes, I'll limit it to just an hour ;) I guess that it would allow for drawing one or two geese, which is enough for one day :)
It is worth thinking about the lack of interest in content. Because, honestly, why should people be interested in everything? There is so much going on in the world that it is impossible to take it all in, and we definitely cannot do much about most of it.
But on the other hand, the choices we then make about what to take in and what to rule out should better, to preserve our status as informed, be based on an open mind, not a strict conformance to old dogmas.
That balance has broken for many, when they automatically rule out writing that doesn't fit with their worldview, and it definitely has broken when it is all about a cool calculation of potential reciprocity.
But we are all guilty, I guess. It is very difficult to be genuinely different from everybody else.
It seems that this is the way how world operates. Our job as creators is to express ourselves authentically, and then it might break through and touch somebody… or it might not.
This saddens me, but I understand your reasoning. I really enjoy your posts and engagement (not numbers) has always been my priority here as well, so I can relate to your frustration. It's why I don't pressure myself to publish (especially now during a time where I have so much else going on) because pouring my heart into a piece takes energy and I often feel it could be wasted if no one responds. I mind this less when I have more time (and energy), but right now it would burden me, which is why I've stepped back a little. I hope to write more regularly again soon though and I, too, do it mainly for the discussions and insights, not for the applause.
Stepping back a little, as you say, when needed, is a self-preservation mechanism, and I'm glad that you can do that and make it work. That thing about balance isn't just fluff, it is very important. Some people can do it themselves and make it work, others may need the world to participate, which, during times as they are now, isn't likely to happen.
To me, social media is a burden by nature. I have, at times, enjoyed working with it, but it isn't a free space for people to communicate, it is strictly business, and a lot is hung up on that. There are rules, either mechanically enforced or applied on the fly by a team of censors, and these rules change all the time, which is frustrating for everyone. To me, it hurts that the people in it do not understand that they are people, so they do not behave in a free and communicative way – instead, they pick what they read carefully, so that nobody will believe anything wrong about them and so that the system will not punish them And they seem to grow an expectation that everybody else is similar, so that there is no need (or room) for deep and honest thoughts.
Some people, like you, are not completely entangled by that kind of thinking, and it is great. If more people on social media could be this free, it could be great using it.
I think that I understood along the way, first with Medium, later with Substack, that we are not where we believe that we are – these places are not for publishing stories and articles that will be considered as equal to those in newspapers or published books. It is kind of amateurs eve here, and when understanding that, it opens for a need, I think to also let the place offer everything else we need as amateurs, which is basically a feeling of community, and people acting according to it.
But that's where the system is broken. A large part of people here live in the illusion that this is something professional, something that should be looked at with profit in mind, nothing else, which leaves the rest of us as headless chicken that run around without really knowing where to go, and without getting anywhere in particular.
Hopes burst, dreams fade, and the great contact we can have with some people may be uplifting, but it doesn't repair the broken system, so joining in each day with a wish to do something like telling an important story often runs out into the sand, which for me is much more negative than it is for the business people here. It takes the spark out of the dream engine.
I hope that you'll find back to telling your stories, because they a special. You squeeze in lots of observations and details that make your stories feel like life. And life is an attractive thing to get out of a story! ;)
I hope to get back to my stories soon too and that they continue to find readers as genuine as you!
You can, and you will! About the readers – they are there. The mechanisms for finding them can be tricky to decode, though.
It is ironic (anf very sad) the way the internet and social media are celebrated as gateways to building community, but become the exact opposite due to profit-driven interests (on the side of their makers as well as on the side of users) and censorship (a lot of it self-imposed). It seems no platform is really able to break free of the constraints, no matter how well-intended they seem in the beginning ☹️
Ironic, yes, but also predictable.
I was today thinking about all this stuff about "Buy American" or "Buy European", etc., which does pop up from time to time – I remember several such campaigns from my lifetime.
So, if I then decide to buy only Swedish things to support Swedish companies, they will, nevertheless, send their production to China, fire lots of people, close down the business completely, or sell off to a foreign buyer.
They are not loyal to me, the same way as I tried to be loyal to them. It never happens, because they are loyal to money only, and those who should get them, including management and owners. They'll give a damn about me and my loyalty, when first I have given them all my money.
The same thing happens for social media, because they are constructed the same way: they are industries, producing and selling services, and they'll give a damn what their loyal users were expecting to get out of it. They want to earn money, and everything else has no importance to them.
A lot of people are being dragged into the game of trying to become successful on social media, but it will always just be very few who actually manage to do that – and mostly some of the first, some of the invited, and some, where the platform owners are cheating with the numbers to make these super-influencers look successful.
It's part of the game to cheat and betray, and the intended victims for this are all the rest of us – the 99% non-successful, but loyal users.
We need to get back to something enthusiast-driven, which doesn't come in such a scale like a social medium. We need local magazines (if there are any printers left to print them), and clubs where members on equal terms participate in the work and decide on how things should be.
Everything big attracts the greedy, it seems.
Your last sentence sums it up nicely...
"Back to the roots" is something I dream of as well! One of my wildest fantasies revolves around an independent radio station, free from the pressure of large record companies pushing semi-talented performers and the demands of station sponsors... I wouldn't know how to go about it though?!
I would say: "Go for it!" – it's a great idea if you like to be on air, and if anybody still has a radio, there will be some of them who think like you and want to support you.
Actually, your approach could possibly wake up the idea of radio listening from its coma.
Getting going is easy: I once built a radio sender (from a kit, which was available in those good old electronics days), and it worked! I could send radio. With a bigger antenna, I could probably have reached a large area of the thinly populated place where I grew up.
There is a need for permissions, though, as the radio frequencies are sparse, so there will be a government body of some kind where you live, who administer these.
Politicians sometimes see the concessions as money making mechanisms: I once took part in developing an auctioning system for radio frequencies, meant to bring in billions. However, prices on such stuff are lower now, since the idea of radio has lost to the ideas of music streaming and Internet.
My best bet is that you find an existing radio station that has vacant time during the day (some hours when they do not send) and arrange with them that you can use their frequency during those hours. You may even be allowed to use their equipment, or some of it.
It's an exciting idea! I look forward to hearing what you find out and decide along the way.
Thank you! That's already enough information to not feel completely clueless on the matter anymore 😊 I will have to look into that!
I am sad to read this, Jorgen because I too, think you're a great writer and just yesterday I shared a little summary of your last post with a friend of mine. I also said if we were not on Substack, I could see us being friends :). I agree with Davor that maybe there's another Medium for you that resonates and I'm glad to hear you're open to that. You're right; "But, the deeper it gets, the further away people run." It takes courage to have your level of curiosity and willingness to go there. I will hope for a supportive community that "sees" what you have to offer. P.S. I like the idea of showing how to Substack. Your instructional content is strong!
Thank you, and don't be sad. Sometimes, going out is the solution when the air is bad inside. Opening a window could perhaps have been enough, but if people don't want that...
There isn't another suitable medium for writing, I'm afraid. There are some forums, for instance belonging to organizations for writers, but they have a similar set of rules and restrictions like all forums, especially the American ones (and they all are) – banning all kinds of talks about any sensitive topic, or even just hints toward such topics. And there is a lot that Americans consider sensitive, so it will not make me happy to join such a place.
Social media and places in that sphere, such as Medium and Vocal, are under various defined or implicit rulings of a wish for some to earn money, and they are strictly ruling out any writing that will not fit their worldview.
To be honest, I have a feeling that the battle for freedom of speech has been lost. There isn't even an interest for it anymore, let alone a wish to work for it.
But I can write in my diary, like Winston from 1984, expecting that even that will lead to consequences, and I can write articles and stories for myself, perhaps being published some day when a window does open.
I love that analogy, Jorgen. Smell the fresh air and see what transpires. There's also always the option of your own website, too. If there's another option for me to read your work, please let me know.
Thanks! You'll find an occasional post from me here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/from-a-writer-s-perspective-7265597829828509696/
I'm sorry you haven't gotten many responses to your posts. I've also had few along the way, but I can tell that some people are reading my posts but not necessarily posting comments. Which is OK for me. Maybe my posts don't invite responses. Not sure.
I understand what you mean. The current state of politics is so depressing that I know I’m avoiding it in my posts. But not always … like one I posted about everyone being an immigrant (which Facebook wouldn’t post by the way). And a few others.
It sounds like you rest more in yourself than I do, which is a good thing. We really shouldn't measure our lives on what we get, but what we are able to give. That's another of my advices ;)
I just get very much depressed by the overall trend to favor the unreal over the real – and to avoid controversial topics, how important they may be for individuals or the society.
So, it takes the good out of it all, leaving me with a depression over the fact that it is like that. It's not you, it's me, I could say.