Why you should find your voice and let your audience find you.

When I'm not creative directing or writing, I draw cartoons like this one.

The process is pretty much the same as creative directing and writing only without the client revisions part. Or the making money part.

In other words, I do it for fun. It's expression just for the heck of it. I've gotten pretty okay at it.

Recently, something unexpected happened with this particular dumb, historically incorrect cartoon (as has been pointed out to me; look, I post free cartoons on line, I ain't got time to research or fact check): It got more than 12,500 likes and more than 2,500 shares on a certain social media platform. (You can follow me there if you feel it).

For me that's a ridiculous amount of engagement.

Over the years, I've posted cartoons that I've loved... the kind that make me laugh when I encounter them again later, and I'm often surprised when they get very little reaction from my followers.

Then one like this gets the greatest reaction of any I've ever posted. (To me this one's average. In fact, when the idea came to me I had to do a search to see if there was already something similar out there; such as it often is with ideas. I wouldn't be surprised if I get a note that shows it's been done already TBH).

Some tools of the trade

Anyway, the observation I'm sharing here is this: as creatives, we're never 100% sure what is going to resonate with the people who encounter our work.

This experience makes me curious about other people's experiences with creativity.

Do you express yourself as genuinely as possible and then hope to connect, while remaining unattached to the result?

Do you try to tailor your work to your audience?

Do you follow trends and try to emulate them while applying your own unique spin?

Have you had similar experiences to mine, where you're sure you've hit a home run only to be thrown out at second because you stood there admiring your hit that to your surprise stayed in the park?

And conversely have you had unexpected success when you least expected it?

The other take away I have is this: there's never been a better time to express yourself and find your audience. Potential access to the entire world is a post away for many people. Keep at it and your audience will find you.