Content creation is the new 9-5 trap.

Online business gurus and their cult members talk big about leaving their jobs.

They claim to achieve “digital freedom” by building an audience and creating viral content.

They brand themselves as ghostwriters or worse:

Personal brand coaches for personal brands who want to teach others how to build a personal brand.

First of all, keep my name out ya mouth.

Second, this sounds awfully familiar to a pyramid scheme.

A multilevel marketing (MLM) circle jerk with a low success rate and a high number of broken dreams.

So what if they do “make it”?

• 100k followers

• $10k per month

• And maybe a real business that works.

But there’s a hidden cost.

They end up with similar constraints of a 9-5 working for anyone who will waive a dollar in their face.

Maybe they used to enjoy creating content, meeting like-minded people in creator communities, and spending a few hours a week in creative flow.

Now, they’re stuck because they followed the numbers (instead of their values).

And for the rest of us, we’re lost with a few choices:

1. Do I keep creating because I enjoy it?

2. Do I follow the hacks that get more followers?

3. Do I do whatever it takes to make a few thousand dollars and leave my job?

Many big creators shit on the 9-5 but they’re leading people off a bridge.

I almost fell for it.

Last year, I burned out (more than once) from listening to their marketing schemes.

I played the creator game.

To be clear, I have no issues with becoming a creator, I’m just here to remind you, there’s no rush.

Don’t listen to the hype or you will build yourself a new cage.

Let me explain.

The Problem with “Climax” Culture

What happened to Mastery?

Open up your phone, your internet browser, a newspaper even. What do you see?

• Murders

• Horror stories

• Lottery numbers

• Sports highlights

• Billion dollar scandals

• Overnight success stories

• Who cheated on who in Hollywood?

The common denominator: Climax Culture.

It’s always about a dramatic end result.

But it becomes a big problem when you start to fixate on outrageous plans for success.

The influence of media is pulling you away from your peace of mind and closer to anxiety-inducing “maximum achievement”.

It’s sad.

Some of the biggest names in Hollywood started with a passion for music only to end up with millions BUT a looming dread for the recording studio.

Can you imagine the thing you love feeling like a dungeon?

The number one way to kill your joy of creativity is expecting your work to be “a banger”.

It needs 100 likes, 100K views, etc.

We forget to measure the joy we have while doing it.

The thing that we love becomes the thing that we have to do.

Why a flexible 9-5 is the best option for most people

Sometimes we need to learn the hard way.

I get it.

You still want to create viral content because you want to:

• Build a business

• Supplement your income

• “Never work a day in your life”

• Monetize your passions

• Escape your 9-5

But look at it this way, many who make it in the creator economy have quit. They dropped off.

Millions might be followed by misery.

I know for most of us, more money would solve a lot of problems.

But how much is enough?

Find your financial stability threshold (could be as little as $500 in a savings account).

Then, find a flexible job that pays just enough to keep you alive plus a bit extra to invest in yourself.

I did this by learning to code. Changed my entire life in 1 year.

Pair down your spending to the essentials.

And if you’re serious about your “passion”, cut out everything else that doesn’t contribute.

You will have to be brutally honest about what you value.

Maybe that means no more football Sundays, eating out on weekends, or buying daily $8 coffee.

It could look like waking up an hour earlier, creating a daily routine you can stick to, or cutting off “friends” and family who are keeping you in these climax cycles.

It doesn’t need to last forever, it just needs to give you momentum.

Try a “Season of No.”

I’ll leave you with a few things that have helped me thus far.

7 ways to cultivate your creative potential

1. Find a community to exchange ideas about your “thing” ( accountability).

2. Return to WHY you loved the thing in the first place (reflection).

3. Carve out time for your creative passion (time management).

4. Move slower to play the long game (sustainability).

5. Run playful experiments to test ideas (creativity).

6. Learn to say no to protect your energy (values).

7. Creative retreats so you can recharge (rest).

That’s all folks!

I’ll be running experiments of my own. But will keep you updated.

Let me know if this was helpful perspective.

See you next time!

P.S.

Please share this with someone who needs to hear it!

I enjoy writing this newsletter more than engaging in any other platform. The social algorthims kill my reach because they don’t want people leaving the app.

So it would mean the world if you shared it on your page for at least a day, then you can delete it or unshare.

Thanks again.

P.P.S.

I ran a poll for a resource across platforms I want to create for you. Right now it’s very close between. You can vote on whichever platform you use most. Vote on X. Vote on LinkedIn. (Instagram story expired)