Here’s a question for you: Who are you making your content for?
This was a question I asked myself a few weeks ago during a shoot in West Virginia. Of course, it was a client shoot so I had to create for the client and execute on their wants and needs. But for myself, who am I making content for? I even made a quick video about it here -
Your first instinct might be to say, “the audience.”
After all, they’re the ones who’ll watch, share, and (hopefully) love your work.
And I totally get that a lot of the time that is the general thought process, especially when doing work for a client.
But what if I told you that shouldn’t be your go-to approach? Rick Rubin, the legendary music producer, has a lot to say on this topic.
He says the audience should come last because you’re not making your art for them, you’re making it for yourself.
At first, that might sound selfish, but it’s not.
When you create something for yourself, something that feels real, honest, and uniquely yours, it resonates more deeply with others.
Art born from authenticity connects in ways you can’t predict or plan and when you focus too much on what you think people want to see, you fall into the trap of creating for validation.
I love the way Rick puts it: “That’s commerce, not art.” You play it safe. You stick to trends. You water down your creativity to appeal to the masses.
But when you create for you, something magical happens. The story you tell becomes richer. The shots you choose feel more alive.
The process becomes fulfilling whether anyone else likes it or not and ironically that’s exactly what audiences crave. Something real.
Something inspired, something they didn’t even know they needed.
So here’s your challenge: The next time you pick up your camera, don’t just think about what will “perform well” on social media. Don’t just obsess over what other people will think.
Instead, ask yourself:
What story do I want to tell?
What excites me about this shot?
What do I want to see in this project?
I recently bought a Fujifilm X100VI. And by that, I mean that I finally was able to get my hands on one after 11 months. The real reason why I purchased it is because of the fun factor.
It’s so small I use it as my daily carry but it packs a 40 megapixel sensor and can shoot up to 6K video in 10 bit 4:2:2 color.
It has film simulations to play around with and the characteristics I get out of it are beautiful and so much fun. Here are a few stills I took, just for fun -
I main point is this, make something you love. Keep that fire alive. The audience will follow. Now get out there and create something!
Best,
Blake