The Laziness Of A Content Creator

Sorry about any turbulence or delays with posting; I have been busy "creating content." That seems to be something we can all agree with: content is hard to develop.

In fact, it is nearly impossible to write great content without a team, a force of energy, and a stride down an insurgent parallel plane.

I decided to take some "me" time today to write about just that: my history with content development. So, how do we begin? Simple: with the truth.

I Was A Dropout

You caught me: I was a high school drop out. I recall my regret when I left, though if you have had any time to peer at my LinkedIn profile, you will see that I did just fine without it.

However, it does warrant some caution from hirers.

You would be surprised how many jobs I have been denied due to overqualification. Such a silly function, when you truly think about it. "Hi, I'd like a job, please."

"Sorry, you're too good."

This has not stopped me, however. I have taught in classes; I have lectured in halls of glory; I have done everything anyone would ever want to do.

So Why Do I Keep Going?

Simple: it is innate. When I dropped out, I grew rather bored doing...well, nothing. So, I began a venture into web and graphic design, which I had picked up from MySpace.

Yes, Tom was my friend, too...

I picked up some HTML skills while there, and found I could code a custom website - using that specific programming linguistic. I know, I was amazed, too.

It was a simple road: code websites back when HTML existed. In hindsight, I could have charged more, but that does not excuse the talent one must have to pick it up on MySpace!

Then Came The Whirlwind

"The whirlwind" was a spiraling sensation of endless position after position, where I pompously accepted any project I could get my hands on.

I ended up on movie sets (ever see "Sex Drive?" I was the boom op), in event coordination plans, and the like. Nothing special, just honest fun.

It was around 2010 that I began my video game studio. It was awful, to say the least. By the second year, when all was said and developed, I found something awful amidst us:

The characters loaded upside down.

Huh? Where did we go wrong? Well, turns out we did not know what we were doing, and that warrants some reminder that content, in any form, must be done correctly.

How To Create Great Content

First, plan. Plan, plan, plan. I never did, and that was my biggest problem: I forgot to take baby steps. I lunged forward with gratuitous force, hoping I would do well.

Big mistake. We failed almost every time.

Then came iLookin. Thank God that word is not spellchecked, as it shows we caught on somewhere along the way. Sure, no one visited the website, but it was a dream company.

We planned rigorously, perhaps too much...

…that was an example of overdoing the mechanism of planning. You see, content seems to be something everybody wants a piece of, but it is a new mechanic for an old set of rules.

What Content Was Once Called

The word: "content" actually is a variation of the word: "creation." Creating things with bare hands, blood, sweat, and tears was once difficult, albeit, impossible.

Now, we have stumbled into a world where content development can be done on your iPhone. I plan all of my content on my phone, except for LinkedIn articles.

Is that not an amazing concept?

How far we have come with content creation is amazing, to say the least. It was once reserved for graphic designers working tirelessly on design programs like Photoshop.

Adobe, of all companies, seems to run the fuel of the fire. With new products launching almost yearly, they are taking over the hemisphere.

I admit, this is a lazy article, so no links will be placed or facilitated. However, I can say this: the future of content development is in the hands of Canva users.

Skill In Content Development

This is not to say Canva is a bad thing, but it is a peer into the future. With developers all around the globe now crashing upon us, the content game is going to become saturated.

With saturation comes inflation.

We are entering either a very dangerous path, or a very reluctant one, so much so that we are able to create a magical graphic from our iPhones.

This is, suffice to say, not a bad thing. In fact, it is great! But for those of us who want to make a true living out of content development, it is a nightmare.

As we stay true to trends, let us examine Canva.

You can drag-and-drop images and text. This is a great thing, right? Well, yes, but I have been on Fiverr.com, and if you so graciously accept my invitation, go take a look.

Search for "graphic design."

And then recall that this was once a term reserved for magicians at work. I always saw content as a plutonic relationship with the human spirit.

Content drives sales, amasses great things, and creates wealth everywhere it goes. But I (excuse me: we) are beginning to see social media news feeds populated with graphics.

And never is it an actual graphic designer.

Graphic Designers Are Now Eleven

In due respect of these individuals, I simply mean that there is some discussion in this. Are we truly creating content? How do we redefine content in the new age?

Furthermore, can a Canva graphic ever truly dazzle anyone enough to consider them a "content developer?" What's more is that, we are just beginning!

My eleven-year-old cousin can create better art than I can!

That is, once again, not to say this is a negative statement. That is great: an eleven-year-old can download Canva, pick a template, and create art. But is it really "art?"

That sullies the good name of "art."

My Final Verdict

My final verdict is this: 1) this is a lazy piece of content, and pardon me because I am tired; 2) when my cousin can create a better graphic than I can on Adobe Illustrator...

...well, that is a story for another day.

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