I hate creating for the algorithm
The algorithm doesn’t care that I drew something just because the view looked nice.
It doesn’t care that I poured my feelings into words.
It wants consistency.
It wants a brand.
It wants me to fit into boxes it decided on its own.
And if I don’t fit, that means I’ve failed.
When did drawing stop being about the joy of watching ink spread across paper?
When did writing stop being about expressing what I truly felt?
When did it all become about engagement rates and follower counts?
I miss the version of myself who wrote in notebooks with no intention of publishing,
who sketched without thinking about composition, color theory, or whether it was “on brand.”
Somewhere along the way, I traded wonder for structure.
We’ve swallowed the idea that everything must have a purpose, must lead somewhere, must be optimized.
Even our hobbies need to justify themselves.
Even rest demands productivity metrics.
The cruelest part? It became a burden to simply enjoy things.
You start doubting the sunset you want to photograph.
You hesitate before sharing a thought because it doesn’t fit your usual topics.
You wonder if drawing that strange creature in your sketchbook is “worth it,” knowing it won’t perform well.
When did doing something just for the sake of it become the wrong thing to do?
The algorithm teaches us to self-censor before we even begin.
We become our own gatekeepers, our own editors, our own analytics dashboards.
We kill ideas before they’re born, because we can already predict they won’t get enough likes.
I don’t know when it happened.
Maybe it was gradual, like how you don’t notice the seasons changing until suddenly it’s winter.
But what if I just drew something terrible today?
What if I wrote words that go nowhere, that don’t teach or inspire anyone?
What if I lived slowly, not as an aesthetic, but as an act of rebellion against a pace I never agreed to?
I want to get back the feeling of doing something for the sake of doing it.
I want to enjoy life as it was before it got sucked into a tiny screen.
And yes, ironically…
I’m posting this too.
Feeding the algorithm,
one act of defiance at a time.
I hope you find this insightful. Remember:
It’s not going to be easy,
But it’s not impossible.
Your friend,
Brian.