Most of you reading are writers, right? Or if not writers, maybe singers, performers, people of the various arts of some sort.

We are craftsmen—we write, perform, publish, sing, and share our thoughts and talents with the world.

I know that a lot of y’all have either YouTube channels, blogs, Substacks, newsletters, author or musician Instagrams, and such, right? And with all of those platforms comes the overbearing burden of…followers.

Who is following me? Why did they unsubscribe? Why are my opened email stats so low this month? How come my posts and videos aren’t getting many likes?

What am I doing wrong?

In the beginning of creating my blog, this didn’t bother me much. I didn’t create for people, I made it for myself and my school. But as it grew and I gained subscribers (and then lost subscribers along the way) I started letting it get to my head and suddenly I was filled with this dread of posting because if it didn’t get more than seven likes, then what’s the point?

I saw a post on Substack that changed this perspective quickly. It read:

“If I had 34 people (my current number of subscribers) over to my house, sitting in my living room & reading my poems, I’d feel like the richest woman in the world.”

And as I read this, suddenly I realized: people want to read my writing. And that was enough.

I don’t need 200 people—because hello, introvert—and honestly, just one person choosing to read my writing is enough. (Although let’s have more than that please, because one-on-one time when someone reads your writing is pretty awkward.)

You have people choosing to read your writing, listen to your music, watch you perform. And that was their choice—how awesome is that?!

Friend, you are doing an amazing job putting your work and emotions out there. It’s hard but you are doing it and that’s already a big step.

We read in 1 Corinthians that the Holy Spirit gives us gifts (aka, talents) and that we are to use them!

To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.
1 Corinthians 12:8-11 NIV

This verse says that these gifts are given to each person, ‘just as he determines,’ meaning that it’s not a random toss of, “You get a gift, you get a gift, and you get a gift!”

No, it’s a, “Here is *insert your gift here* because I have a plan for you and that gift.” It’s thoughtfully planned out because the Lord has a thoughtfully crafted plan for you, your gifts, and your life.

So now the question is….how are you going to use those gifts to bring light and life to the world? I already know that many of you have figured this out, and some might still be confused, but that’s okay! Good things take time.

Thanks for reading, hope you have a great day!
~Willow

If I’m not reading your work already, then comment below or send it to me because what am I doing?! I would love to support young fellow thought-sharers.