Internet Nudity

Backstory

My first "influencer" post went live on Jan 20, 2025.

Before that, I had spent maybe a week preparing to be a content creator. I spent hours watching "viral hook ideas", "2025 Instagram algorithms" thinking it would help me become a mega influencer. I also spent a good day staring at my completed post, really really nervous to click the "post" button for the first time.

It's funny because I had always wanted to be an "influencer". I made Youtube slime videos back in the day (although the slime did not slime), posted on LinkedIn recreationally, and just... had a dream of being famous. But when it came time to really commit to the bit, I found it quite hard.

Actually, I met an influencer at a debate tournament once. Edie was the only influencer I knew. She was consistent, confident, and had brand deals -- pretty much everything I wanted for myself. So before posting, I asked her, "how did you get over that initial fear for posting?"

And she responded just I had expected, "I just went for it."

What's funnier is the fact that I actually hid this whole thing from everyone. My friends, family, even my boyfriend at the time. I was soooo dang embarrased by the thought of being cringe.

I realllyyy thought about blocking everyone I knew, but that just felt... a little too much. So yeah I posted without telling anyone, for the first time.

Eventually though, people found out about the account (probably because I interacted with the posts on my personal account haha). People asked me about the account. Admitdly, I was embarassed. Many times, I wanted to downplay my desire of being a content creator to "it's nothing serious", but I didn't. I faced the cringe and told them that I wanted to be an influencer.

And I kept posting. For the next few months, I'd find my niche and I'd gain 13K followers. I posted the things I found cringe. I ignored the hate comments. I faced the jokes people made about me. You know what I realized? It honestly wasn't that deep.

Anyways, I ended up going on a (maybe) permanent hiatus after about 6 months of posting on Instagram. Instead, I migrated to yap a little more on LinkedIn and X for my thought leadership X_X

"Thought Leadership"

For anyone who follows me (or read a few blogs from here), you probably realized that I kind of just yap about anything. I share a lot of deeply personal things and opinions online, in hopes to -- I guess -- inspire others.

I know a lot of people nowadays become creators to improve their career prospects or whatever. What LinkedIn is mainly for I suppose... But I disagree with this notion. I think to create is to make art. Art, without emotions, without purpose, is an inauthentic piece of trash.

So when I read souless AI slop on LinkedIn, or see people "larping", it really makes me kind of sad. I think it takes away the beauty that the internet provides.

I can tell you that I felt nothing when I reached 10K followers. It meant nothing to me, even though it was something I wouldn't have dreamed of 10 years ago. The moments that actually mattered the most in my journey was the few DMs telling me my videos inspired them, the conversations that sparked IRL because of what I posted, or the genuine community I've built.

Heck, going on a tangent... I made a discord server and people are somehow still active there! People share career advice and ask each other for help, that's the kind of community anyone could just, build. No real pre-requisites, just complete strangers brought together.

That's what's beautiful about the internet.

You can cut into the onion layers as deep as you'd like, or leave it as shallow as you're uncomfortable with.

You could choose to share what's personal, or just copy the latest viral trends.

You could contribute to the vast ecosystem of entertainment, or be a warrior behind the keyboard.

You can be any or none of these, and that would be okay. The presence and time you have on the internet is defined by you and what you make of it. It could be positive or negative, additive or subtractive.

But I urge you, from the short-lived time I've spent here, to be a positive addition. To share the things you love and care about. To mourn, to celebrate, to inspire.

Yeah, you kind of have to have a stake in all of this. Put a little soul into every piece of content you create. Believe in what you're doing whole-heartedly.

"To be cringe is to be free." To be vulnerable is to be free.

You will be surprised with the impact you will make.