Recently, for fun, I started to post random videos on TikTok. I thought of it as an experiment and was having fun with it.

Then I realized this thing was happening – random and far-removed people from my past (high school, college, and a few middle school) WERE SEEING ALL OF THEM and INVESTIGATING MY PROFILE.

Cue cringe spiral.

I felt embarrassed.

I know I'm not alone in this experience because I'm talking daily to clients (who all have internet careers), and the conversation always goes something like this:

"Is this too much?"

"But I think I'm posting too many photos of myself. Do I come off self-absorbed?"

"But … I don't want to attract too much attention."

"But honestly, I just feel cringy."

"But this is just trivial - it's not that important."

In the face of a question like this, I always ask them if they cringe when other people post online or use their voice - they always say no.

The other day, I was talking to God about creativity. I've always loved art but have yet to label myself as an artist because I didn't feel like I had a medium. What creative pursuit was I dedicated to?

And I heard it clearly in my soul –

"Your creativity is not embarrassing. The internet is your art."

This thought won't stop ringing in my ears, and I just want to liberate every woman / man / brand putting themselves out there online and say - "This is a worthy pursuit. We need you."

I did a deep dive into the history of technology and found that people warned of severe danger at the birth of every innovation (like the printing press, TV, radio, etc.). But these advancements have led to significant and life-changing works of art.

Now we have the internet - and I hear that it's ruining my life, focus, and days.

But is it?

(This, of course, comes with a caveat - the internet can lead to scary things, and we always need boundaries - but isn't this true about everything?)

This is what keeps making my everyday:

The girl on Instagram stories sharing her outfit. You showing me your room on reels. The woman with some wisdom to share via IG graphic. The stories of your epic trip. That cute post with your friends. Sharing a cause you care about. Every single picture of your morning coffee. The sunset pics. Your dog posing like that. Hearing your jokes on TikTok. The pictures you share that I get to double tap. The little video clips. The snippet of your writing that makes me click that link. The quote you reposted. The song you told me about. Learning what you made for dinner from the feed.

No one is cringing but you. Keep creating.

Paper is paper. A canvas is a canvas. The internet is the internet. But how we use these things - it is always art.

I hope this frees you up and saves you from a cringe spiral or two.

I can't wait to see what you create next.