As an independent author, it’s easy to think that my job is to sell books as opposed to write and publish them. As an artist with a small audience, it’s easy to prioritize the widespread consumption of my work over its consistent creation. As a person, it’s hard to deny the allure of what might happen if I shift the goalpost towards views and away from personal interest.

In other words, it’s easy to get swept up in the pursuit of visibility rather than completing interesting projects — and unfortunately, once we make the leap, returning can be an arduous journey.

Thankfully though, we need not leap. We can deny the cultural preoccupation with building an ever growing audience and crafting a universally appealing personal brand. We can refuse to become obsessed with metrics, trends, and high-level visibility. We can choose whether or not widespread adoption is even worth considering.

Internet numbers are (often) besides the point, and from my experience most of our passions would benefit if we stopped consulting them.