For a long time, I wondered how and why to start my blog.
Why would anyone want to read what I write?
What value do I add to someone who, from the ocean of things they could read on the internet, would stop and choose to read what I have to say?
I’d say this “problem” is tightly connected to me as a person – because I’m not really a master of any one thing.
I’ve read bits and pieces about many topics. I usually know why something works, but I can’t give a full and clear explanation like “This works because: insert impressive-sounding theory here.”

So what do I offer, if not expertise?

If you’re trying to break into the online world, especially if you want people to appreciate your art, you’ve probably heard advice from all kinds of successful and semi-successful internet people.
They all say: “If you want people to notice you, you have to be consistent. You have to provide at least one useful thing in your post, your video, your whatever.”
And yet… you’re not consistent.
You rarely have something “useful” to offer others.
What you do have is a moment.
A story that felt interesting to you.
It made you feel something.
You throw in a little humor where it fits and hope it turns out fun to read.

Why I even have these thoughts

Because I want to be better at what I do.
Because if a person doesn’t strive to improve, they’ll never find out what’s beyond the hill.
And what exactly is “the hill”? I guess it’s different for everyone.
But I think people who grew up in a post-soviet country will understand me a little better.
Thanks to the power of the internet, my generation – the one making TikToks and other short videos – seems to have lived through very similar things, even though we’re all from different countries.
We share the “Eastern Europe” experience.

I don’t want to become that guy

You know who I mean – the aging neighbor from your childhood who hated change.
Who always said “Back in the day, everything was better.”
Even though, when you read the history, it definitely wasn’t better.
Maybe when there’s less stuff in the world, life feels easier.
Who knows?
The world moves at a mad pace, and if you let yourself stop following it for just a bit, you might get left in the dust.
Then the next generation laughs at how clueless you are.

I want to be the person who adapts. Or at least tries.

Something else that took me years to understand – when you’re a kid, and your whole life there’s this little store behind your apartment block.
It sells all kinds of things.
But over time, new stores pop up.
They offer more, better service, lower prices.
The little store refuses to change.
After all, it’s survived for so long by staying the same.
But eventually, that becomes the very reason it dies.
Because the edge of the cliff opened beneath it, and it refused to change direction.

People aren’t always ready for new things

Let’s play devil’s advocate – even trying to adapt is not easy.
Because you never really know what the masses will want.
You can innovate, create something brilliant, but if people aren’t ready for it – it flops.
Then years later, someone with a bigger name and louder voice does the exact same thing and suddenly it’s genius.
Maybe it’s all just marketing?
Maybe it’s brute-force suggestion – brain-hack your audience into wanting what you’re offering.
People love to think they can’t be manipulated.
But they are, way more than they’ll admit.
How often do you buy a new phone?
How often do you order food online?

Lessons I’ve learned (the hard way)

If you’re a specialist – someone who’s spent years learning a very specific skill – tomorrow there could be a tool that replaces your entire knowledge base.
Poof. You’re outdated.
No one wants to use your way anymore. The new thing is faster. Easier.
And then what?
What do you do when your one skill is no longer needed?

Being “good at your craft” isn’t enough anymore

This is something school definitely didn’t teach us – or taught it completely wrong.
Every teacher wanted you to be the best in their subject.
So it felt like you had to ignore everything else in order to be “good.”
But what I noticed over time is… that’s not how the world works.
If you want to be truly great at something – let’s say, running a restaurant – you need to understand way more than just food.
You need:

• logistics
• design
• psychology
• marketing
• social media

If you’re a big company – sure, you can hire people to handle all that.
But solo artists, designers, programmers, game devs – you feel me.
All you want to do is your craft.
The thing your hands and mind and soul are made for.

But instead… you’re forced to become a marketing goblin.

And if you’re anything like me – you’ve hated marketing people your whole life.
They don’t feel like people.
They feel like they’re using a glitch in the game to manipulate everyone.
What’s the glitch?
Psychology.
Manipulation.
Buy this. Cool people have it. You’re missing out if you don’t.
Meanwhile, you’re just trying to make art. With a soul.
How are you supposed to turn that off?

Final thoughts

Yeah… this got a bit heavier than I planned.
But this line of thought comes back to me now and then.
And since I happened to be in the right mood today, I decided to write it down and share it with you.

Stay safe out there.
Commodore Bo, out.