Why I'm not seeking 1000 true fans…
So much has been written on this subject. Kevin Kelly wrote about it back in 2008. Seth shared his thoughts on it. InTreehouses is publishing a series of eMags on it. There's some interesting material out there for sure.
I currently have 1506 Twitter followers. Is that 1000 true followers? No. I very much doubt it. It would be great if 1506 people were out there on Twitter, waiting to hear what I had to say, or write, next. Wouldn't it? Would it?
The problem is, that those followers right now span my early days as a spiritual blogger, my former career as a photographer, and editorial writer, through minimalism and on to writing on simplicity, spirituality, creativity and life. So they're from all walks of life, and many still following for some long since forgotten reason. It's a scatter-gun. Each day, some join me on my path, and each day some discover I unfollowed them when I decided too much Twitter was driving me crazy, so they unfollow me.
But now, I'm focusing. I'm laying my cards on the table, and whilst, yes, I'm still working on building my income, the purpose of this site, is as a personal journal. A peek inside my mind and heart, my door is open, I love it when people drop by and read, and when they stop for a chat.
I want to earn a living from doing what I love. I'm working on that, right now, narrowing my aim down to that, because it's good to focus. Just ask Leo Babauta.
I currently earn most of my very small income through web design and hosting. But I want to be earning it from my art. Writing. Teaching spiritual practice. Online and offline. Do I need 1000 true fans to achieve that? I don't believe there is a hard and fast rule to this. Look at the author Paulo Coelho [I'm reading his biography right now]. He has millions of fans, they read his books, they attend signings and talks, many of them buy his books. But if you look at Paulo Coelho's agent, she has one client. One true fan. Paulo Coelho. She earns her entire living from a single true fan. Who just so happens to have millions of true fans.
So you see, I believe anything is possible. The fans and followers game, whether on your Facebook page [I deleted mine, my Facebook is for keeping in touch with true friends, who I have made on my travels, not for followers], your Twitter page, or your blog readers, but I've stopped counting. It doesn't help to constantly check who's following me, who's left, what my stats are. What kind of measure is that?
What I believe is that the only accurate measure of my course, is that I feel on course, that I feel happy, that I am receiving positive feedback from my heart-core. That's a subjective measure, not an objective one. It works for me. That's what matters. Because other people's methods won't necessarily work for you. You have to find your own path, weave your own way through the course of life. It's why I have a spiritual practice, because there are tried and well tested methods out there, ways of being, that have been tested and proven by millions of individuals, for thousands of years. Zen Buddhism, my own practice, is one such case. There are many.
So I'm looking for not one thousand true followers. Maybe not even one. Sure, I'd love to hear from you if you're out there, and what I write and do makes a difference, but I'm not here to sell you snake oil, I'm not here to create my own cult, there are enough people crowding the blogosphere with those thoughts right now. Nor to tell you that I know better than teachings that are thousands of years old, tried and tested. I'm here to explore my own place in the world, to test what works and what doesn't, and to share that journey. It's an honest and open ride. Sometimes it may be a roller coaster ride, other times it may be a walk in the park. Feel free to join me for both, company is good. I like company. It's good to talk.