Creating in the Algorithmic Era: The Double-Edged Sword of Modern Artistry
How creatives can find connection, meaning, and success in a fragmented, hyper-personalized world.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be a creative or an entrepreneur in this age of endless platforms and infinite personalization. On one hand, it’s exhilarating. The barriers to sharing your work are lower than ever (resulting in more music being released in one day than in a year). Whether it’s your art, music, writing, or brand, you can hit “post,” and suddenly your creation is out there for the world—or at least a small corner of it—to experience.
But this accessibility comes with a cost. There’s a magic we’ve lost along the way. Here is my roadmap for the coming year as a creative.
No More Shared Experiences
Think back to when everyone gathered to watch the same TV show at the same time or when you’d buy a new album, sit down, and listen to it from start to finish. Those moments were collective. They were shared experiences that created a rhythm to how we consumed culture. They gave us something to talk about, something to remember together.
Today, everything is hyper-personalized. Events are time-shifted to fit our individual schedules. Albums are chopped up into playlists, and the idea of consuming an artist’s work as they intended it feels more rare. TV shows drop entire seasons at once, and some of us binge them in a weekend while others take months, making it harder to have those shared water cooler conversations.
For creatives, this shift presents a strange paradox: it’s easier than ever to find an audience, but harder than ever to find the audience.
Something—or someone—can be wildly popular in one niche and utterly unknown to another. Algorithms carve up audiences into micro-communities, creating digital bubbles where trends burn brightly but fade fast. You can go viral on TikTok and still be a stranger to people who live for Instagram. You might release an album that racks up millions of Spotify streams but never connect with someone who listens exclusively to vinyl.
The Creator’s Challenge
In this fragmented world, being a creative is a balancing act. Success is no longer one-size-fits-all—it’s deeply personal, defined by your goals and values. Maybe you’re chasing a big break, or maybe you’re content with a tight-knit community that truly gets your work. But no matter the goal, the truth remains: as a creative, you create because you have to.
You create despite the reception. You create while you can, because that’s who you are. Success, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder. And yet, the process of creation—the act itself—carries a power that transcends external validation.
It’s not always easy. The algorithms don’t promise fairness, and the metrics don’t measure meaning. There’s vulnerability in putting your work out there, knowing it might not “hit.” But that’s the point. To be a creative is to trust in the process, to show up and create because it’s what you’re here to do.
How Do We Navigate This?
Find Your Core and Embrace the Fringe
Build your audience, but don’t box yourself in. Experiment with reaching people outside your usual spaces. Drop your work into new channels. Cross-pollinate your creativity into platforms or communities where you’re unknown. Great things happen at the edges of comfort zones.
Curate Shared Moments
Even in this on-demand world, people still crave connection. Host a live listening party for your new music. Stream a Q&A about your process. Bring people together around your work in real time, recreating that sense of “we’re all in this together.” Shared moments stand out in a sea of fragmented consumption.
Challenge the Algorithm with Intention
Use platforms as tools, not rules. Share work that matters to you, even if it doesn’t scream “viral.” Show the behind-the-scenes effort, the ideas that didn’t land, or the parts of your process that aren’t polished. The algorithm might favor trends, but authenticity builds trust.
Collaborate Across Niches
Partnerships bridge communities. A Houston food truck teaming up with a local band, a visual artist designing labels for a craft brewery, or a writer teaming up with a chef for a storytelling dinner—all these unexpected collaborations create new spaces where your audience overlaps with someone else’s.
Celebrate the Slow Burn
In a world obsessed with instant hits, don’t be afraid to play the long game. Consistency matters more than speed. Build for longevity, and trust that meaningful work will resonate—even if it takes time to find its way.
It’s About Living Fully
At the heart of all this isn’t a fight against change or algorithms—it’s a reminder of why we create in the first place. It’s not so much about leaving a legacy; it’s about living fully in the moments you have. Let your life be your masterpiece—not for others to remember, but for you to truly experience.
So as you navigate this digital landscape, think about how you can create something that brings people together, even in a world built for individual consumption. Make moments that matter. Build connections. And never stop showing up for the work, for yourself, and for the people who do find meaning in what you create.
Because at the end of the day, EVERY day is a celebration. So let’s keep creating—not for the likes, not for the algorithm, but because it’s what we were born to do.
Keep creating,
Astro Joe Garcia
Do You Realize?? - The Flaming Lips
“Do You Realize??” by The Flaming Lips is a poignant anthem that captures the beauty and fragility of existence. Its dreamlike melody and heartfelt lyrics remind us to embrace the present moment, even in the face of life’s uncertainties. The song’s central question—“Do you realize?”—urges us to look beyond the noise of everyday life and recognize the profound meaning in simple experiences. It’s a fitting companion for any creative navigating today’s fragmented world, where the drive to connect and create often feels at odds with the fleeting nature of attention and success. This track isn’t just a song; it’s a meditation on living fully, with purpose and presence, which echoes the heart of what it means to create.