So here we are, with a new year ahead of us.

I often think about creativity, as it relates to community building. Not so much in the sense that we need to be creative with the ways we build community, but that creative content is often what drives thriving and dynamic communities.

(Image is my own)

Creative...How?

When I suggest "Creative Content," I'm not so much talking about art and music and such, but originality and being creative in the ways you present something.

The thing we often forget — because it's natural to fall into the rut of doing things "the same old way" — is that part of what makes communities interesting is that they are unique and different. They come across as energetic and dynamic, rather than static and stagnant.

That's when creativity comes in, as part of community building.

Even if your typical fare stays pretty constant — could be anything from movie reviews to financial analysis — don't be afraid to make your presentation of your favorite subject matter a little more "colorful!"

(Image is my own)

What got me to thinking about this particular nuance was watching a few YouTube videos where the voiceover was — quite obviously — artificially generated. Someone wrote a script, and it was automatically converted to voice.

I'm sure you know what I am talking about!

The voice just drones on in a pretty monotone way, and after about 30 seconds I find myself thinking that I would rather watch paint dry than continue with the video... EVEN IF it actually had valuable content!

Sometimes the way we present our written content on a platform like Hive actually risks becoming as "drony and boring" when we've been at it for a long time!

And then people sit around and wonder why nobody seems to be reading their stuff...

What Do YOU Like?

Conversely, consider some of your favorite content creators... be it here on Hive, or maybe on YouTube or elsewhere. What is it that makes them your favorites? Why do you like their content?

The consider how you might be able to incorporate some of those elements into your own writing, or vlog, or whatever you're doing.

I'm not suggesting outright copying, just drawing inspiration.

The more interesting a venue looks to outside eyes, the more likely they are to have a second look, and subsequently explore and join a community.

Happy 2024!

Till the next one, thanks for stopping by!

=^..^=

*** Curator Cat, January 13th, 2024***