Real anonymous = Virtual anonymous

It seems there's no time like the present for us who are into creative work. Thanks to the huge advancement of technology, specifically computers and the Internet, things you could not even dream of not so long ago, are now possible, at least in theory. For example, you can now compose music using the sounds of the rarest and the finest instruments in existence, have world-class symphony orchestras at your fingertips, produce music using the most expensive and desirable gear out there, do your own mastering or hire a professional from all over the world, collaborate with anybody anywhere, promote your work online and finally publish and monetize it. All this from the comforts of your own home. Sounds great, right? You bet. On top of it all, every day we hear and read stories on how someone somewhere becomes “rich and famous” overnight solely thanks to the Internet. But when you actually try to see if all this “science fiction” is actually real, you’ll most likely discover it is more “fiction” than “science”, after all.

Personally, I’ve only just started building my online presence as an author and have not even reached the toddler state in that respect. There are so many uncertainties and variables that you need to take into account - it is often overbearing. Things become even more complicated if you, like me, are the person who is socially awkward and simply does not fit well into the crowd, particularly if you’re refusing to be a conformist. Theoretically, the Internet should be the media that could enable everyone to find their place under the sun. It was once a place where you could try to escape from every day’s banality, hollowness, rudeness, criticism for the sake of criticism and generally feeling unrealized and unaccepted in the real world. Unfortunately, all these things are also virtual nowadays.

In order to be “successful” today, both in the real and virtual world, you need to be a conformist more than ever before. This is the time where you must be “liked” by somebody at all costs. Thanks to social media, everyone can now publicly express their own opinion on everything and everyone, anytime. Don’t get me wrong; I’m against censorship of any kind, but democracy also has a dark side, now more prominent than ever before and freedom can be abused so easily. It only takes a few keystrokes. People who’re used to being bullied in the real world could once escape into a virtual one, but these days you cannot find refuge even there.

So, what to do if you only want to showcase your own talents and earn something from your dedication and hard work? What if you’re a shy, insecure, introverted, and unobtrusive person by nature? What if you’re rather spending time in creative work, expanding your knowledge, and honing your skills than in a noisy bar listening to chit-chat and small talks in order to feel accepted? What if you want to be a good musician without having to report every little detail about your personal life to the “so-called” fans? And what if you’re creating music that is not intended for the masses and isn’t “commercial” by nature? What if you’re simply refusing to accept the fact that most people are judging your value based on the amount of money which you can earn doing what you’re doing or on the number of “likes” and “clicks” you’re getting online? You still deserve your place under the sun and should use all the resources you can find in order to get there. And while the Internet should do the legwork for you, getting where you want to be is still a simple matter of personal circumstances and above all, luck.