January 29, 2016

How to brighten an artist's day

Make the internet a friendlier place; share your fandom with the creators you love.

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This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

The internet can sometimes be a pretty depressing digital landscape, full of trolls, flat-Earthers, and all the various -isms. But in between all that nonsense there are the bright spots—wonderful, creative people making stuff for the rest of us to enjoy. The writers, artists, podcasters, youtubers and joke tellers make the internet, and the rest of the world, a better place. They certainly do for me.

These people are valuable resources. Be sure you care for them accordingly.

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As an internet creator myself, I can tell you how depressing it can be at times. People steal stuff. People tell you your stuff is terrible. Facebook only shows an update to tiny fraction of your audience. It’s tough out there sometimes.

You know what can really help? Hearing from people who enjoy it!

Last week I was listening to my favorite podcast (Slumber Party! Woo!) on my drive home, and I thought to myself, “My goodness gracious. This podcast brings me so much joy. I should really tell the people that made it how wonderful it is and how happy I am to listen to it.”

So I did. And I’m glad I did. Not long after I emailed a sonnet (not really) about my undying love for this podcast, one of the hosts emailed me back, thanking me for my note, saying it made her day. I felt good. She felt good. The world was a little brighter.

When you come across content you love, why not send some love back? A retweet, like, or share is wonderful; a comment or reply is super; and an email thanking that person for creating something you love--that’s fantastic. In the age of internet information overload, it can be easy to consume and move on. But try to take a moment the next time something makes you smile, and let that person know so she can smile too.

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