Tabi basa and greetings everyone. Today is Father’s Day (19 June 2022) and I would like to wish father’s around the world Happy Father’s Day. Your sacrifice is like an unsung hero, providing the best to the family despite you’re not being recognised. For me, it is important to have both father and mother in a healthy family because by having both, you will have different outlook in life to the growth of the children. I don’t agree when you say that father or mother is better than the other, when in fact, they are complementing each other. There shouldn’t be any fight over this. Just look at how human civilisation, it started from the basic form of family consisting of father & mother, whom begets their own children. If we want to create peace in this world, it should start from home. By having a good, stable & working family, we can create a stable country.
Silamat Andu Amang – Happy Father’s Day! From Piching. Shot on Leica SL, Vario-Elmar-SL 24-90mm
Moving to today’s topic, I’d like to share about the why is it important for you to have your own website and why you shouldn’t depend on social media.
But first, let’s start with the recent move that I have done.
My post on my LinkedIn. Shot on Leica M10-P, APO-Summicron-M f/2 50mm lens.
I have deleted my Facebook, Instagram & Tik Tok account. You might be wondering, why on earth would Tukang Rantek delete his own social media accounts? Especially Facebook, where I have 22,000 followers. That’s a lot, and it took me around 5 years to grow it to that size.
For me, it is simple. I want to create something that would last, something that would be associated with my brand. I’ve made a mistake, where I only rely on my soc-media, particularly Facebook, to boost my own brand. Until now, my Facebook page is becoming more famous than my actual reputation of being able to create pictures. I am not ashamed to admit that I’ve spend too much time developing my Facebook page than to actually spend my time for growth as an aspiring photographer.
Even in my office, people have been telling my that my reputation as a photographer exceeds my reputation as an engineer. In a way, I am flattered, but I am actually worried. My concern is that it is like a bubble only, without having real substance. I do aware that there are some photographers who is not even active on social media, but they are having a steady income from their photography. That’s what I desire.
But in this case, I need to step back and re-strategise. But instead, I just stop my social media cold turkey, deleted FB, IG & TT and just concentrate on my Twitter only.
1. Why Twitter?
It is the social media that gave me the least distraction.
2. Aren’t you worried that there is less followers there?
At this point in time, I am not bothered about followers number. If people wants to follow me, they are most welcomed to follow me. If they are not, I’m good too. My work quality is not defined from my follower counts.
3. No FB, no IG, no TT. What’s your next plan then?
I will just keep on writing blogs about my journey and photography. I don’t intent to grow my social media follower counts.
91 followers only. This is more like it. Previously I have 22K followers on Facebook, but I always have a feeling that it is not genuine.
Reflection On Social Media
1. It Is Not Meant To Last
Social media is not forever. Anyone remembered their first soc-med? For me, my first one was Friendster. What happened was, it closed its website on 2015 and 2018, it ceased as a company. If you have developed your profile there, then it won’t be forever. You might argue that it is free, but it will not serve you in the long run.
Then came Facebook to replace Friendster. Facebook so far has been going on strong, but no one know how long it will last.
Vine was ahead of its time. 6 second fame, but now it was left in the dust. Tik Tok followed its success formula, and now even Instagram, Facebook and YouTube is following its formula.
But if you want to create something that last forever, build it in your own platform. Not at the platform made by others, especially if it is free. If it is free, you are the product.
2. Comparison Upon Comparison
Soc-med relies on people to compare with one another. As much as I want to believe it is good for healthy competition, if you can’t stop comparing yourself to others’ highlight reel, then it might be a good time to stop. Just like you, other person also have their own time to shine. It is not normal to always have something to highlight in your life. Birthday, yes. Wedding? Yes. Achievements? Yes. But how often would you have all of these things? Not often, right? If you want reclaim back your privacy in life, just get away from soc-med for good. Even in my Twitter, I don’t post anything personal.
3. Feel Good Sensation / Dopamine Effect
You know that feeling, when you post something, and it is liked. That works like a drug. It is all thanks to dopamine hormone. I still remember, I’ve posted a picture about a female Bidayuh engineer and that post gains a crazy amount of attention. To-date, it garnered close to 3800 likes and 2800 shares at my Facebook page. I can’t find a snapshot though. But here’s a snapshot from LinkedIn on the same lady. Yes, 2784 likes. Still, it doesn’t give me anything though.
People like a certain picture on social media because they like what they see, not really about the person who posted it. That’s the rule of the matter.
But the opposite would happen. Let’s say you are used to earn 100+ likes for each picture. Suddenly, when you post something that matters to you, but the reaction that you receive is not like what you expect, then you might feel miserable about yourself. You might think that you are not as good as you were before.
That’s what happen to many people. When their usually viral post is not viral anymore, they might question their worth, their credibility, when in fact, the audience that he/she has is not really the right audience that he/she wants. So, it is important for you to know your audience
4. Addicted with Likes
One chronic addition that I have seen was this person, who can’t help but to post anything that she is doing on her soc-med, everything will end up at her timeline or at least, story. I pity her, but I don’t want to be giving too much attention to her. I am not close enough too to give her advice, though that is is a good wake-up call for me to not be like her.
INVEST TIME WISELY – BYE-BYE SOCIAL MEDIA
Based on what I wrote above, it is time to reconsider where you will invest your time in. Social media fasting is one good option. But I think it is even better if you concentrate on creating something more sustainable. Something that you can call yours.
That’s bring us to the next point.
Create Your Own Website
I can’t emphasise more that as a creative person, you need to have your own website that you can use to create your own legacy and not affected by the rules of others.
Of course, if you use my method, you might feel lonely in the first place because everyone else are on the other social media. But the good news, if they are genuinely interested in your art or approach, they will contact you.
I like that I can create whatever I like in my own website. I like to write long articles. In Metaverse soc-med, where pictures are the main media being consumed, these articles will end-up useless.
I also like to write stories. I am learning how to type properly using touch typing method, but it will take a while before I can truly master it. Nevertheless, that is one journey that I would like to take. It will be fun.
That’s all I’d like to share for today. I am also finding the joy in doing blog using classic editor, vs using block editor as what I have done before.
Tukang Rantek,
Claudius Weson
Follow me on Twitter & LinkedIn: claudiusweson.
Note:
1. Claudius is a freelance photographer based in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia.
2. “Tukang Rantek” means “photographer” in Bidayuh Serian language.