Beyond the Buzzword: Unmasking the True Meaning of Content Creation

What's Behind the Curtain of "Content Creation"? Let's face it - there's a palpable generational divide when it comes to how creators relate to their work. It's not a clear-cut distinction, but there's been a noticeable shift in how we talk about and approach being a creator. This change is closely tied to technological advancements, and it's all about the evolving nature of "content."

When I say "content," I'm using it in a broad sense, because that's exactly what's happened - the term has become a catch-all phrase. It's a placeholder for the things artists, writers, influencers, thought leaders, and so on create. But here's the thing: this placeholder has started to overshadow the actual things it's representing. It's like we've stopped thinking about the unique, diverse creations and started focusing on the generic label instead.

To clarify, not everything is "content." Creators can make sculptures, bespoke shoes, or carved cabinets - but those things aren't typically considered "content." If you ask the trendsetters, they'd probably call the people who make those things "builders" or "makers," rather than "creators."

The Philosophy of Art: Two Kinds of Creations There's a useful distinction in the philosophy of art that can help us understand this better. Some artworks are "allographic," while others are "autographic." The latter category includes things like sculptures and bespoke shoes - unique, physical objects that can be held in your hand. If someone makes a perfect copy of a bespoke shoe, it's still just a copy, not the original. On the other hand, allographic art is more like a novel or a song - every copy is essentially the same as the original. If I publish a book, each paperback copy is still the same book, not just a copy of it.

So, when we talk about "content" in the context of content creation, we're usually referring to allographic art - things like YouTube videos, blog posts, and podcast episodes. These are the kinds of things that can be easily reproduced and distributed, and they're often created with the intention of being shared widely.

The Rise of the Solo Entrepreneur But what's driving this shift in how we think about content creation? One major factor is the rise of the solo entrepreneur. With the help of technology, it's become easier than ever to start your own business and sell your own products or services. This has led to a cultural shift, where being a solo entrepreneur is seen as the ultimate goal.

The 4-Hour Workweek, a book by Timothy Ferriss, was a major catalyst for this shift. Ferriss preached the gospel of drop-shipping and solo sales operations, where you can set up a website and sell products without ever having to handle them yourself. This wasn't a new idea, but Ferriss's book made it seem sexy and appealing to a new generation of young people.

The Personal Brand: Where It All Gets Complicated The other trend that's intersecting with the rise of solo entrepreneurship is the rise of the personal brand. Instead of just selling products, people are now selling themselves - their personalities, their expertise, their lifestyles. This has created a whole new economy, where people can make a living by being famous, or at least by being famous on the internet.

The trouble is, building a personal brand is a lot harder to measure than selling products. You can't just count the number of units sold; you have to track your followers, your engagement, your "influence." And that's where things get murky.

The Guru Model: Counting Followers The personal brand model is similar to the old guru model, where a spiritual leader would build a following by promising enlightenment or success to their devotees. The indicator of success was the number of followers - the more, the merrier. And that's exactly what's happening with social media today.

If you're trying to build a personal brand, you need to get people to follow you, to engage with your content, to buy into your personality and expertise. And the only way to measure that is by counting your followers. It's a never-ending cycle, where you're constantly trying to grow your audience, to increase your influence.

The Backwards Funnel: Creating Content to Attract Followers So, how do people create content in this brave new world? Often, it's the other way around - they create content to attract followers, rather than creating content because they have something to say. It's a backwards funnel, where the goal is to build a brand, rather than to create something meaningful.

This isn't to say that all content creators are doing it this way. Many artists are still creating meaningful, allographic art - art that's true to themselves, rather than just trying to appeal to a mass audience. But there's a recognizable shift in how willing people are to shamelessly promote the "personal brand first" model.

The Supremacy of "Content": What's at Stake? In the end, it's all about what we value as a society. Do we value meaningful content, or do we value the ability to sell and promote ourselves? The rise of AI-generated content might just be the catalyst we need to rethink our priorities. As the internet floods with bland, generic content, we might start to crave something more authentic, more meaningful.

So, what's the way out of this? Maybe it's a counter-revolution, where people start to demand more from their content creators. Maybe it's a return to the old days, where artists created because they had something to say, rather than just trying to build a brand. Whatever it is, one thing's for sure - we need to start valuing meaningful content again, rather than just chasing the latest trend or the most followers.