A very subjective look into AWFC

Creating content is something that, wether we realize it or not, all of us are doing. Whenever we post on instagram, when we tweet something, when we repost something we like… that is all content. Some is original stuff and some is basically passing along information.

With that said, I’ve always felt there’s a bit of responsibility when it comes to social media as it has some power behind it and we never know who is reading, who is looking, who is listening and of course we have no idea how they can be affected by what we post.

We also have the power to make really impactful things that be a positive ray of light in the lives of people or a specific person. And that reality brings with it, naturally, us wanting acknowledgement and validation from the people we are making the content for or who inspires us to do it.

Imagine you go to a match and you create a sign for X player. Safe to assume you make it so that the player sees it AND they also acknowledge it. Now, that can mean a few things and you might have certain expectations.

One of them is that they see the sign and point at it or whatever. You might feel seen, literally, and all the work you did for that sign might be validated. Mission accomplished right? Maybe not because there might be another reason, which is a deeper interaction with that sign.

What I mean by this is let’s say the sign you make says: “Can I Have Your Boots?!” The sign is not for the players, it’s for you isn’t it? You want something from the players. You are demanding, in kinder terms, something for you support. It’s not selfless. And the sign stops being artistic at its very core.

So posting video edits, duets on TikTok, shirt designs and everything in between that us fans do, have to be anchored in art. Art however is a subjective thing and I’m not here to tell you who is doing what the right way or what is the most effective way to create art. None of that.

What I’m saying is that the more you know why you’re making the art you’re making or in this case the content you’re making, the better equipped you might be for what happens after it’s made. You will manage your expectations and assumptions better, or so you’d hope.

This is a long process and it gets easier some times, and others it’s brutal. Happens to me in music often and its part of the daily life of a professional musician and person overall really, because social media, literally made for content sharing, is deeply linked to us all, more than any one of us needs or wants.

It’s easy for me to offer this perspective because I do this for a living and I get that most people don’t do this and might not see it the way I do, so if you’re one of them, please know that I’m not judging. I’m trying to offer some perspective as it relates to the potential disappointment and resentment that might arise if you don’t get what you expect after you post.

When you make an album and the number of people you want to listen to it don’t, there might be some hurt feelings there. But if you make the album for yourself, regardless of who listens to it, then every stream is a bonus. It’s all about perspective.

If let’s say you do a video edit for a player. Is them seeing enough? Or do they have to click like? Or do they have to comment? Or do they have to share it? Which one is it that you want, and more importantly, WHY do you want what you want?

Isn’t enough if the players are moved by it wether you know about it or not? It should be in theory but life is not just that. It’s complex with complex emotions and feelings and they are all valid.

I just want the players to be happy, and you too.