Creating Community: How Connection Drives Content Creators Forward

Have you ever felt the isolation of the digital content creation world, even while being surrounded by a virtual community?

I have. For as many connections as I’ve made online with fellow creators and podcast listeners, most days I feel alone. I’m often on my own, in my office, with a phone, a ring light, a camera, or a mic talking and moving as if someone is listening and watching me…but I’m actually alone.

Even when I have help from, that help is usually virtual, through email, over Zoom, or by phone. Creators tend to work alone. And although we spend a lot of time cultivating online relationships, our in-person interactions are limited.

I attended an event over the summer of 2023, hosted by Tara Clark of Modern Mom Probs. It was a networking event for creators and just about every person I spoke to remarked on how incredible it was to actually see people IRL.

Many of the creators there had digital communications prior to the event or simply knew of each other’s platforms but so few had actually met in person. And it just hits different, doesn’t it?

The Importance of In-Person Connections

This is one reason why I created the Collabs & Connection pillar of The Inner Edit: to remind us creators that in-person connections are so important for our mental and emotional well-being.

Engaging with colleagues and commenters in person can have a tremendous impact on our creativity, our inspiration, our motivation and drive to keep doing what we’re doing, and it gives us a true sense of community.

At The Inner Edit we’ll hear from creators who have managed to forge in-person connections that started online. We’ll learn how they did it and what they get out of it!

Building Community Online

The second reason for the Collabs & Connection pillar is that making and nurturing connections digitally is different than making in-person connections. Have you ever wondered how to truly create a sense of community on your platform with your audience?

I love when I get DMs and comments from listeners of the podcast! It truly makes my day. However, when I go too long between interactions, I start to question myself and wonder if what I’m doing and saying is having an impact on anyone.

I picture myself with a megaphone, standing on the edge of a cliff of a mountain yelling, “Helllooooo, is anyone out there?” It can often feel like I’m creating content and sending it off into the black hole of the Internet.

On The Inner Edit, we’ll have guests and experts share exactly how they stay connected to their communities and colleagues. We’ll talk about how to cope with the comments, the DMs, and the emails from followers and haters.

Balancing Personal and Public Life

Thirdly, does creating content have an impact on your relationships outside of the digital world, like your partner, kids, family, and friends? How have those relationships changed or stayed the same since you started your platforms?

We’ll talk about what creators choose to share and not share. And we’ll hear about strategies for setting boundaries around what’s public versus personal life.

It’s a difficult path to walk when your work is so intimately connected to your real life. We’ll discuss how to shut off the content brain and stay present in your relationships and life. 

Navigating Collaborations

And lastly, we will get into collaborations, whether that means working with fellow creators, brands, or businesses. The landscape is ever-changing and it is SO hard to keep up with what to do and how to handle communications, money, and contracts, so let’s talk about it.

On the Inner Edit you’ll hear from experts and fellow creators on their experiences with collaborations and partnerships. 

Creators, you are not alone. There are creators out there who want to connect, share their wisdom, and even become IRL besties!

Join The Inner Edit movement by subscribing to the show wherever you listen to podcasts, sign up for my email list, and get the 10 Weekly Self-Care Practices for Digital Content Creators freebie! 

Xo, Christie