No One Cares, and That's OK

Look: I know there are people who are genuinely interested and excited when I come out with new music, a new comic or a new blog post. Most of them are friends and family, but no matter who they are, I’m delighted that someone out there can enjoy the things I love to make.

But in the big picture, there’s an unavoidable fact: for the most part, nobody really cares what I do. It’s not just creative stuff, either. On a day to day basis, the vast majority of human beings in the world couldn’t possibly care any less about what I think, feel, create or accomplish. The same thing applies to you. In fact, it even applies to famous people. While an album release by a well-known artist could affect the lives of thousands, even millions of people, still the majority of the population just couldn’t give two shits. Many of the people we consider important, influential or powerful don’t really move the needle in the life of the average person. In short: nobody cares what you do.

And that’s OK.

I Can Care As Much As Them

I obviously want to reach a large audience, but I used to care a lot more about why no one paid attention. What can I do to make sure I make some noise with my next project, I’d wonder. What can I do so that more people care about the new songs I record? What can I do to gain an audience with my comic so that I can entertain more people and win over new fans? What can I do to make my blog relevant, useful and thought-provoking so that I become the type of forward-thinker that others look to for opinions?

It’s not that I ever stopped asking those questions. It’s just that I care a lot less about them, because they’re not that important in the grand scheme. Because what I do and create isn’t all that important in the grand scheme. What I make matters most to me and a few other people. And while I’d love that to be a lot of people instead of a few, there’s only so much I can do. And if I start obsessing over the large scale, I lose sight of what’s important: that I make the best art I can, art that satisfies myself first and foremost, and then hopefully connects with others through its honesty and hopefully something resembling originality. That I connect with the people who do care, show genuine appreciation for them and foster those relationships.

In the end, all that really matters is that I get to do what I love to do in the short time I’m here. That’s already so much more than many people can say. So forget about how many care about what you're doing for a little while, and just create for the sake of creating. If you're still unsatisfied, well, you might need to make a change.