Matt Tilmann
@mittendad.bsky.social
Senior Analyst, Girl Dad, Husband | Staying curious about life and sharing what I learn along the way. I Subscribe now at https://mittendad.substack.com
Thank you Jamie! :)
November 8, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Thank you Jamie! :)
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If you're feeling generous, be sure to share the first post of this thread.
Thank you for reading and like/repost the quote below if you can!
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November 8, 2025 at 2:02 AM
If this resonates, follow @mittendad.bsky.social and hit the subscribe link below for more insights.
If you're feeling generous, be sure to share the first post of this thread.
Thank you for reading and like/repost the quote below if you can!
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If you're feeling generous, be sure to share the first post of this thread.
Thank you for reading and like/repost the quote below if you can!
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For more on this topic, be sure to check out this week's post: mittendad.substack.com/p/creative-...
The Accountability System for Creators with a Full-Time Job
Stop staring at a blank page feeling like no one cares. This framework helps you build connection rituals that fuel consistency, not your burnout.
mittendad.substack.com
November 8, 2025 at 2:02 AM
For more on this topic, be sure to check out this week's post: mittendad.substack.com/p/creative-...
You don't have a follower problem.
You have a connection problem.
And the solution isn't growing your audience—it's shrinking your creative circle to people who actually show up.
Start there.
You have a connection problem.
And the solution isn't growing your audience—it's shrinking your creative circle to people who actually show up.
Start there.
November 8, 2025 at 2:02 AM
You don't have a follower problem.
You have a connection problem.
And the solution isn't growing your audience—it's shrinking your creative circle to people who actually show up.
Start there.
You have a connection problem.
And the solution isn't growing your audience—it's shrinking your creative circle to people who actually show up.
Start there.
Here's your action step:
Message ONE creator today.
Not someone with 100K followers.
Someone at your level who gets it.
Say: "Want to swap weekly progress updates for 30 days?"
That's it.
One person. One message. One chance to stop creating alone.
Message ONE creator today.
Not someone with 100K followers.
Someone at your level who gets it.
Say: "Want to swap weekly progress updates for 30 days?"
That's it.
One person. One message. One chance to stop creating alone.
November 8, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Here's your action step:
Message ONE creator today.
Not someone with 100K followers.
Someone at your level who gets it.
Say: "Want to swap weekly progress updates for 30 days?"
That's it.
One person. One message. One chance to stop creating alone.
Message ONE creator today.
Not someone with 100K followers.
Someone at your level who gets it.
Say: "Want to swap weekly progress updates for 30 days?"
That's it.
One person. One message. One chance to stop creating alone.
The micro-community solution actually works:
Find 2-5 creators at your stage.
Weekly check-ins (async is fine).
Share wins, struggles, and drafts.
No performance. Just process.
This beats any mastermind or Discord server you'll never post in.
Find 2-5 creators at your stage.
Weekly check-ins (async is fine).
Share wins, struggles, and drafts.
No performance. Just process.
This beats any mastermind or Discord server you'll never post in.
November 8, 2025 at 2:02 AM
The micro-community solution actually works:
Find 2-5 creators at your stage.
Weekly check-ins (async is fine).
Share wins, struggles, and drafts.
No performance. Just process.
This beats any mastermind or Discord server you'll never post in.
Find 2-5 creators at your stage.
Weekly check-ins (async is fine).
Share wins, struggles, and drafts.
No performance. Just process.
This beats any mastermind or Discord server you'll never post in.
The shift that changes everything:
Stop building an audience.
Start building relationships.
Spend less energy on reach and more on depth.
Create FOR people, not AT them.
The energy is completely different—and your loneliness will prove it.
Stop building an audience.
Start building relationships.
Spend less energy on reach and more on depth.
Create FOR people, not AT them.
The energy is completely different—and your loneliness will prove it.
November 8, 2025 at 2:02 AM
The shift that changes everything:
Stop building an audience.
Start building relationships.
Spend less energy on reach and more on depth.
Create FOR people, not AT them.
The energy is completely different—and your loneliness will prove it.
Stop building an audience.
Start building relationships.
Spend less energy on reach and more on depth.
Create FOR people, not AT them.
The energy is completely different—and your loneliness will prove it.
The one real person principle:
One human who texts "how's the project going?" is worth more than 1,000 silent followers.
One person who sees your messy drafts beats 10,000 who only see your polished posts.
Quality of connection > quantity of audience.
One human who texts "how's the project going?" is worth more than 1,000 silent followers.
One person who sees your messy drafts beats 10,000 who only see your polished posts.
Quality of connection > quantity of audience.
November 8, 2025 at 2:02 AM
The one real person principle:
One human who texts "how's the project going?" is worth more than 1,000 silent followers.
One person who sees your messy drafts beats 10,000 who only see your polished posts.
Quality of connection > quantity of audience.
One human who texts "how's the project going?" is worth more than 1,000 silent followers.
One person who sees your messy drafts beats 10,000 who only see your polished posts.
Quality of connection > quantity of audience.
We use metrics as fake intimacy.
"I have 1,000 followers so I must be connected to people."
But you can't text a single one when you're stuck on an idea.
Follower counts are a poor substitute for someone who gives a damn about your creative process.
"I have 1,000 followers so I must be connected to people."
But you can't text a single one when you're stuck on an idea.
Follower counts are a poor substitute for someone who gives a damn about your creative process.
November 8, 2025 at 2:02 AM
We use metrics as fake intimacy.
"I have 1,000 followers so I must be connected to people."
But you can't text a single one when you're stuck on an idea.
Follower counts are a poor substitute for someone who gives a damn about your creative process.
"I have 1,000 followers so I must be connected to people."
But you can't text a single one when you're stuck on an idea.
Follower counts are a poor substitute for someone who gives a damn about your creative process.
Here's the brutal truth about async content:
You create in complete solitude.
Validation (if it comes) arrives hours or days later.
By then, you're already onto the next piece, feeling alone again.
The gap between effort and response is where isolation breeds.
You create in complete solitude.
Validation (if it comes) arrives hours or days later.
By then, you're already onto the next piece, feeling alone again.
The gap between effort and response is where isolation breeds.
November 8, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Here's the brutal truth about async content:
You create in complete solitude.
Validation (if it comes) arrives hours or days later.
By then, you're already onto the next piece, feeling alone again.
The gap between effort and response is where isolation breeds.
You create in complete solitude.
Validation (if it comes) arrives hours or days later.
By then, you're already onto the next piece, feeling alone again.
The gap between effort and response is where isolation breeds.
Creating for 👻 is exhausting.
You can't visualize who you're creating for because you don't actually KNOW them.
No faces. No names. No real relationships.
Just a follower count that feels more like a performance review than a community.
You can't visualize who you're creating for because you don't actually KNOW them.
No faces. No names. No real relationships.
Just a follower count that feels more like a performance review than a community.
November 8, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Creating for 👻 is exhausting.
You can't visualize who you're creating for because you don't actually KNOW them.
No faces. No names. No real relationships.
Just a follower count that feels more like a performance review than a community.
You can't visualize who you're creating for because you don't actually KNOW them.
No faces. No names. No real relationships.
Just a follower count that feels more like a performance review than a community.
You watch other creators celebrate wins with their "community."
Meanwhile, you're refreshing your analytics at 11 PM.
Alone.
The comparison spiral hits different when you have an audience but zero creative friendships.
Numbers don't cure loneliness—people do.
Meanwhile, you're refreshing your analytics at 11 PM.
Alone.
The comparison spiral hits different when you have an audience but zero creative friendships.
Numbers don't cure loneliness—people do.
November 8, 2025 at 2:02 AM
You watch other creators celebrate wins with their "community."
Meanwhile, you're refreshing your analytics at 11 PM.
Alone.
The comparison spiral hits different when you have an audience but zero creative friendships.
Numbers don't cure loneliness—people do.
Meanwhile, you're refreshing your analytics at 11 PM.
Alone.
The comparison spiral hits different when you have an audience but zero creative friendships.
Numbers don't cure loneliness—people do.
100 likes feel like nothing when they're all surface-level.
Your brain craves depth, not breadth.
Generic comments like "great post!" don't scratch the loneliness itch.
You need someone who actually READ it and has thoughts.
Not just emoji reactions.
Your brain craves depth, not breadth.
Generic comments like "great post!" don't scratch the loneliness itch.
You need someone who actually READ it and has thoughts.
Not just emoji reactions.
November 8, 2025 at 2:02 AM
100 likes feel like nothing when they're all surface-level.
Your brain craves depth, not breadth.
Generic comments like "great post!" don't scratch the loneliness itch.
You need someone who actually READ it and has thoughts.
Not just emoji reactions.
Your brain craves depth, not breadth.
Generic comments like "great post!" don't scratch the loneliness itch.
You need someone who actually READ it and has thoughts.
Not just emoji reactions.
You publish something you spent hours on.
Then you wait.
And wait.
The silence between hitting "publish" and getting a response? That's where the loneliness lives.
Even when engagement comes, it feels hollow because you created it alone.
Then you wait.
And wait.
The silence between hitting "publish" and getting a response? That's where the loneliness lives.
Even when engagement comes, it feels hollow because you created it alone.
November 8, 2025 at 2:02 AM
You publish something you spent hours on.
Then you wait.
And wait.
The silence between hitting "publish" and getting a response? That's where the loneliness lives.
Even when engagement comes, it feels hollow because you created it alone.
Then you wait.
And wait.
The silence between hitting "publish" and getting a response? That's where the loneliness lives.
Even when engagement comes, it feels hollow because you created it alone.
The follower paradox is real.
More followers often equals MORE isolation, not less.
Because you stop creating for connection and start performing for metrics.
Your brain knows the difference between an audience and a friend.
More followers often equals MORE isolation, not less.
Because you stop creating for connection and start performing for metrics.
Your brain knows the difference between an audience and a friend.
November 8, 2025 at 2:02 AM
The follower paradox is real.
More followers often equals MORE isolation, not less.
Because you stop creating for connection and start performing for metrics.
Your brain knows the difference between an audience and a friend.
More followers often equals MORE isolation, not less.
Because you stop creating for connection and start performing for metrics.
Your brain knows the difference between an audience and a friend.
Even though Dems should be ahead by 30 or more in many polls like you mentioned, what else do you advise to continue helping others lift the veil of MAGA that are disillusioned aside from voting?
November 3, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Even though Dems should be ahead by 30 or more in many polls like you mentioned, what else do you advise to continue helping others lift the veil of MAGA that are disillusioned aside from voting?
I’m pretty sure though it’s not to keep driving by a bus on the other side that’s fully stopped with red flashers on, or this morning’s latest, PASSING and going around the bus that is fully stopped with red flashers on!
#parenting #wtf
#parenting #wtf
October 31, 2025 at 11:55 AM
I’m pretty sure though it’s not to keep driving by a bus on the other side that’s fully stopped with red flashers on, or this morning’s latest, PASSING and going around the bus that is fully stopped with red flashers on!
#parenting #wtf
#parenting #wtf