162: Why post things online?

CTA: Share your art, side projects, creativity!

10 Aug 2025 — 9 min read

tldr 📝
I think more people should share their art / writing via blogs and newsletters.

There’s a weird thing that happens when you put something you made on the internet. You hit "publish", your heart does a tiny backflip, and then… nothing.

No fame. No fortune. Just the soft, echoey silence of the web.

But sometimes, later, out of nowhere - you get a response from a stranger, an email from an extended relative, a DM from a friend you haven’t talked to in years.

hey, I like that thing you made.

Thanks! I appreciate it.

Maybe you schedule a video call with someone who read your post on the other side of the planet and wants to collaborate on a project that didn’t exist until you had the audacity to post your thing online. Maybe this person becomes a friend, or a client.

That’s the real magic. Not going viral. Not building a “platform.” Just making a thing that accidentally lights up a path to other real human beings in serendipitous ways.

But most people never even begin. Why not?

😬 self-doubt
📈 unrealistic expectations
😰 fear of judgment

For many, sharing online feels kind of… gross. Like you’re either chasing clout or shouting into the void - or worse, trying too hard. In the golden age of irony and cynicism, it's embarrassing to try (and fail) earnestly, or to be authentically sincere.

I don't want to look like a fool.

Can I say what I actually think?

I don't wanna be cringe.

But here’s the thing: you don’t need a niche, a monetization strategy, or a substack empire. You can just make something and put it out there. And if you do, the internet - this giant, chaotic swirling soup of chaos - might gift something back to you.

The web doesn’t need more polished brand avatars, grifters, hustlers, or conmen - it needs more regular people. People like you. Weird, honest, messy, rough draft you.

I'm not suggesting that everyone make art a full-time job. If anything, I'm calling for random side projects and creative play: Avocations are allowed and encouraged.

What if no one likes it?

Like, zero response... just crickets.

Don't overthink. Just ship!

Dooo it 💪

It's normal to want applause. We're all wired for social approval and dopamine hits.

But I think our modern internet brains have also developed a warped sense of scale.

Each week, ~100 people visit TheFireJar.com.
This number has remained fairly flat over time.
When it comes to publishing on the internet, this scale somehow feels small, embarrassing, and insignificant.
By comparison: If I produced a live weekly show and ~100 friends showed up physically at a theater, I would be ecstatic. 🙌
In-person, this feels like huge support.
On the internet, it feels like a "failure".

The Fire Jar https://www.thefirejar.com/recap-11/

I cannot teach you how to grow an audience, go viral, or make a ton of money. But I can say that people probably overrate scale and underrate trust and 1:1 connection.

In this area, I think email / blogs / RSS offer clear benefits over mass social media.

As a creator, there’s an intricate balance you have to maintain between intrinsic motivation and external validation.
You have to rely upon your personal intuition and drive to create your work, but you also need positive feedback from others to know that your intuition is properly calibrated.
The reason it’s a balance is because if any pole is taken to its extreme, you are either delusional (thinking your work is great when it’s actually terrible) or a panderer (relying on others to dictate what you create).

More to That https://moretothat.com/equanimity/

So, what?

You could wait until you're "ready", your niche is clear, your website branding is optimized, and your inner critic finally shuts up. Or... you could share the thing.

It might be awkward. You might be ignored.
But you might connect deeply with a few people.
And that’s where the unexpected good stuff happens.