"Internetflation" Is Making Us Feel Like Failures
If you’re tying your success to views you may be setting yourself up for disappointment.
The year is coming to an end, and as Christmas approaches, there’s one song that seems to resonate with me more deeply each year: Happy Xmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon. Its opening line—“So this is Christmas, and what have you done?”—always hits me. Every time I hear it, I find myself reflecting: Shoot, the year really is over. What have I accomplished?
As the holiday season invites reflection, many of us begin to ask similar questions. Was this year a success? Did we achieve the goals we set at the beginning of January? Goals are powerful—they set the trajectory for our efforts and give us something to work toward.
However, the way we define success is rarely fixed. It shifts with our circumstances, whether shaped by our jobs, personal aspirations, or even broader cultural influences like the evolving landscape of the internet. Recently there has been a huge change in how many people define their success.
Over the past 5–6 years, we’ve seen a massive inflation in what success looks like on the internet. A perfect example of this is YouTube. In 2018, there were only around 5,000 channels with over 1 million subscribers. Today, it’s estimated there are around 32,000 channels with over 1 million subscribers. More and more people are reaching unimaginable metrics online, and many are jumping at the opportunity to follow suit.
You might have noticed similar trends on Instagram and other platforms. Now, tons of people have over 100k followers—a metric that used to be owned by very few. Inflation hasn’t just hit the price of houses—it’s also inflated how people view their success. An artist trying to make a living from their art now also has to be an Instagram creator. A filmmaker making short films must push their success with shorts, reels, numbers, and views. Even your barber might be making TikToks to raise prices and attract new clients.
There has been a shift in how we define success. Platforms like TikTok and other short-form content have made it possible for people to become famous much more quickly, but we don’t know how sustainable that “success” really is. There’s also significant uncertainty about the security of an influencer-type career, especially with potential TikTok bans on the horizon.
I’m not sure if anyone has coined the term yet, but I like to call it “Internetflation.” As online viewership increases, creative success can feel much harder to achieve than before. If you’re a creative or someone just beginning your creative journey, stop tying your success to online views. There’s a temptation to think that our work must be seen by thousands to be deemed “successful,” but that simply isn’t true. Success is about setting a goal and then following through. That’s it.
One of the reasons I enjoy Substack is it seems to have distanced itself from pumping views up through an algorithm. Nathaniel Drew put it a great way in this note:
“It’s interesting, Substack feels like being in a country with very low inflation and a strong currency compared to other platforms.
The currency of course is engagement instead of money. There are far fewer likes and comments on here compared to the things I share on other parts of the internet, but they feel so much more substantial.
TikTok – and Instagram becoming like TikTok – devalued likes/views to such a degree that even massive numbers feel meaningless and empty. YouTube is somewhere in the middle but the inclusion of Shorts is pulling it in that direction.
And yet even just 10 people enjoying what I wrote on here feels amazing.”
If even just a few people enjoy something you made, that can be considered a success. We’re all ultimately worried that the work we do won’t amount to much, and metrics like likes and views help us cope with that feeling. But they’ll never be enough—there will always be more likes, views, and shares to chase.
As you reflect on your year and what you’ve accomplished, don’t measure your success by how many people saw your work. Instead, ask yourself if you did the things you said you were going to do, if you created the work you’ve been thinking about.
Success is saying you will do something, and then going ahead to do it.
Keep creating and repeating
- James
CREATE WITHOUT EXPECTATIONS (feat. Story Slaughter)
Making your first song is bold. Watching it go viral and rack up millions of streams? That’s life-changing. In this episode, Zack sits down with singer-songwriter Story Slaughter to talk about her creative leap into music during the pandemic, the journey behind her hit single “Ranch Water,” and how embracing the unknown shaped her artistic path.
Story shares her insights on creating without expectations, balancing vulnerability with privacy in her songwriting, and how performing live helped her step into her boldest self.
Whether you’re chasing a dream or navigating the messy middle of your creative journey, this conversation will inspire you to take risks, trust your gut, and put your work out into the world.
Links keeping us creative:
👆 Free Ideas by Jordan Gonen: A collection of unconventional free ideas aimed at inspiring creativity.
📖 Get Your Art from Books: An exploration of how books serve as a wellspring of inspiration for artists, emphasizing the enduring value of literature in the creative process.
🆎 Day Job: A creative agency with a pretty special website. You can play doom on their homepage.
👨💻 Design Literacy in the Age of Intelligent Automation: An insightful discussion on how design thinking evolves with technological advancements, emphasizing the importance of a design mindset.
This Week, We’re Happy to Spotlight Paul O’Mara—a Los Angeles-based video and podcast creator.
Bringing His World to Life:
Paul O’Mara brings a unique blend of creativity, vision, and heart to every project he touches. Based in Los Angeles, Paul’s work spans video and podcast creation, each piece reflecting his ability to turn ideas into stories that resonate. Whether he’s behind the camera or the mic, Paul crafts moments that inspire, connect, and leave a lasting impact—all while staying true to his own rhythm.
For Paul, creating isn’t about chasing trends. It’s about making the work he wants to see and hear in the world. And in doing so, he reminds the rest of us to follow our own creative instincts.
The Power of Authenticity:
A recent piece of creative advice from Paul: “Make the music you want to hear.” It’s simple but profound. Instead of worrying about what others might think, focus on creating something that moves you. Authentic work stands out, and it’s the only kind worth making.
The Takeaway:
True creativity comes from within. Stop chasing what’s popular and start creating what feels right to you. The work you want to make might just be what the world needs most.
If you’d like to be featured in an upcoming Talent Show, apply at CreateRepeat.com
Create.Repeat is a community for creatives.
The Create.Repeat Substack is a project designed to be a weekly diary on creativity. Sharing inspiration for artists to keep creating and repeating.
Written and curated by Zack Evans & James Warren Taylor
Each week we will be sharing recent thoughts on creativity, some links helping us stay creative, and a talent show featuring an artist from the community. Thank you for engaging with us.
History repeats. Create the future.
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only reason i decided to actually make an account here :) ive always loved reading these in my mails and i look forward to them every single time; they don't disappoint ever. i'm really glad i came across create repeat, i can relate to almost all the work you're putting out there as a creator myself.