Creating Content 101: Navigating Criticism

Question number two, when thinking about sharing your story online, what support or systems do I have in place to manage possible criticism or rejection as a content creator? If you're thinking about becoming a mental health content creator or telling your story to help others, this video is for you. I have four videos on this topic and this is number two, so be sure to head to my profile after this to see the rest if you're new here. Hi. I'm happy you're here. My name is Rachel and I've been a mental health writer, advocate, and content creator for about four and a half years and I have learned a lot about the impact, both positive and negative, of sharing so openly online.

I think telling your story online is a beautiful thing and it will expose you to potential negativity. There will be people who don't like what you say, who don't agree or project their own life onto you. So by sharing yourself online, you do subject yourself to potential public ridicule. And I don't mean to say this to scare you, and it's not a guarantee. Like, for the most part, people are really kind and thankful that you're sharing your story online and it's still the Internet and anybody can come across your content or your story.

So you need to have a good support system, both externally and internally to manage all kinds of feedback. So you have to ask yourself questions like, how will I cope with negative comments? What tools do I have to deal with potential trolls or bullies? What boundaries or guidelines can I create for myself to maintain a system for how I respond? For example, many years ago I made the decision simply to not respond to negative comments. Energy grows where your attention goes, and the more energy I spend on negative comments, the more energy those comments get.

And it's not worth my energy. So you get to decide what your systems are for navigating this and what feels good to you. Because at the end of the day, it's your content and it's your story and it's your space online that you've created. I hope this helped and if you have any questions, please let me know in the comments and make sure to check out the other three videos in this series. I'll see you next time.