Why You Need to Share Your Work
The 50/50 Reality Check
You pour your soul into creating—music, pottery, novels—and it fuels your spirit. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: if you don’t share your work, it remains invisible. Creativity thrives in connection, not isolation.
Music business expert Ari Herstand frames it perfectly: successful creators spend 50% of their time on their art and 50% on sharing it (ie promotion). Too much creation without sharing means your work never reaches the people who need it. Too much sharing “content” without creating something valuable leads to burnout and empty output.
We dream of creating in a vacuum, where audiences magically discover our work, and success happens effortlessly. Reality demands more from us.
The Twin Saboteurs: Fear & Resistance
Two forces conspire to keep your work hidden:
Fear whispers that your work isn’t good enough or will be ignored.
Resistance convinces you that promotion is tedious, unimportant, or self-indulgent.
These saboteurs never fully disappear. Instead of waiting for them to go away, successful creators build habits that help them move through these barriers.
Why Sharing Matters
Art isn’t just about self-expression—it’s about connection. Your work could inspire, heal, or bring joy to someone, but only if they see it. Keeping it to yourself is like writing a love letter and never mailing it.
I know this struggle firsthand. My latest single, "Anemone," comes out this Friday. It’s been a long time coming, and I’m scared—scared of negative responses but mostly that it will be ignored. I worry that my efforts to share it will be wasted, leaving me bitter and dejected.
But refusing to share isn’t humility—it’s denying the world something that could matter to someone.
Moving Beyond Paralysis
The discomfort you feel about sharing is a sign that it matters. Fear doesn’t mean stop—it means step forward. The act of putting your work into the world isn’t just about gaining an audience; it’s about growth, resilience, and fulfilling our .
Your One Thing: Share Something This Week
You may not have a new song coming out, but I bet there’s something you’ve been scared to share. This week, choose one creation—a draft, a sketch, an idea—and share it with someone. A friend, a social post, an email. If you can’t think of anyone, reply to this email and share it with me!
Remember: Your work isn’t meant to live in the dark. Someone out there needs what you’ve created. Share it.