Substack Convinced Me to Renew My Website

Some people have a deep understanding of communication and social environments. They can go anywhere and talk to anyone while leaving a positive impression. They remember your name, details about you, and you never mind when they’re around because they’re just extremely likable.

These are the people who get invited to everything. The individuals who everyone wants to befriend and that definitely is not me. 

I represent the awkward ones. The quiet kid who eats alone and hangs out in the library. The father who won’t go to a movie unless the theater is at least half empty. The guy who will purchase VIP tickets so he doesn’t have to push through a crowd. The friend who only wants to hang out with you and not your other friends. 

I can handle every type of social situation but not in my natural form. Sometimes I have to pretend to be someone else just to hold a conversation. I know doctors refer to this as, “Masking” but for most of my life I called it, “Just trying to fit in”. No one wants to be alone and I’m no different in that regard.

When I first joined Substack, I hoped this would be what I was looking for. I’ve become so exhausted with social media, if I could share my art and connect with others without using these damn algorithms, my mental health would improve greatly. I loved that Substack was easy to get into and I’ve enjoyed every blog I’ve had a chance to read but unfortunately, Substack is another social media platform. 

I’ve gained a few subscribers but my time there feels like I’ve been talking to myself and asking my idols to look at me. Once again, I’m trying to fit in an environment where I’m clearly the odd man out. 

To past the time and increase awareness I’ve begun posting to YouTube, Instagram, Threads, Cara, Bluesky, and Pinterest. All of this has changed my opinions of Substack. If I have to work this hard to grow my blog, why not at least make sure that I own the blog? If I have to grind like hell just to be seen, why should I put all my eggs in this one basket?

After writing seven blog post and sharing over twenty-five pieces of art (including animations) in the notes feed, I’ve only gained eight interactions. It’s not lost on me, that I probably didn’t use the right words or comment enough on the post of others but whatever happened to “be your authentic self”?

What good will it do me to put on another mask just to be liked more? How long will I be able to keep it together before I break character and crash out?

So I renewed my website and moved my blog over shedgfx.com I’m not going to leave Substack, because that would be silly. I’ll just continue to use that platform as I use all social media.

Thanks for reading.