A benefit to social media that you might not have considered

Jan 14

We talk a lot about the downsides of social media, the vanity metrics, the pressure to perform, the noise. But there is one massive, overlooked benefit to the "one post a day" grind that has nothing to do with likes or followers.

It’s the fact that it forces you to become a creator instead of a consumer.

The 24 Hour Creative Cycle

When you commit to sharing one image every single day, your brain starts to work differently. You stop waiting for "the perfect moment" or a trip to a far off location to pick up your camera. You realize that if you’re going to have something to show by sunset, you have to find something worth seeing by breakfast.

This commitment turns your life into a hunt for the extraordinary within the ordinary. The way the light hits your kitchen table, the geometry of a shadow on your morning commute, the texture of a weathered door, suddenly, these aren't just background noise. They are your mission.

Quantity is the Path to Quality

There’s a well known study about a pottery class where one group was graded on the quality of a single pot, while the other was graded solely on the quantity of work they produced. By the end of the term, the "quantity" group actually produced the highest quality work. Why? Because they were constantly making, failing, and adjusting. They didn't have time to get paralyzed by perfectionism.

Daily posting is that pottery class.

It forces you to shoot when you aren't "inspired."
It forces you to edit when you're tired.
Most importantly, it forces you to finish.

From "Posting" to "Practice"

The shift happens when you stop viewing the feed as a gallery and start viewing it as a practice log. If you’re posting to "win," you’ll burn out in a week. But if you’re posting to document your growth, the pressure disappears.

I’ve found that my most meaningful breakthroughs didn't come from the days I had a big plan. They came on the days I felt like I had nothing to shoot, but I picked up the camera anyway because I had made a promise to show up.

The "machine" might be demanding, but it’s also the most effective personal trainer a photographer can have.