When the show can’t go on…
I wanted to share this experience to relay important insights into the world of a content creator and how we reach (or don’t reach) audiences with relevant information and product promotion, particularly when life takes us away from the work for longer than expected.
I’ve recently experienced one of the worst cases of the flu in my life. I first came down with symptoms on Dec 19, 2024, and I still have a day full of coughs and congestion even now. I was lucky enough to have two weeks off from my main job over the holiday, so I basically just went through the worst part of it during the time when I’m usually a flurry of baking, drinking, and having a good time. I took an extra week off because I was way too sick, and spent the next two weeks working, napping after work, and doing basic necessities (eat, shower, tidy up, go to bed). If you want to hear all about my ideas relating to autism and illness, and why I think my case of the flu was so incredibly awful, I wrote about it on my Patreon. In total, it was 6 weeks of flu and symptoms, and I only started a recovery building up my physical strength two days ago (weight lifting, cardio, stretching, and rebuilding lung capacity).
Since Expertly Dyed is a one-woman show, it can be challenging to keep everything in motion when I’m this ill. Normally, I take a few days off to help relieve the worst of a cold and can pop back into gear like I was hardly gone. Staying ‘relevant’ with social media is less tough if you’re only sick for about a week. I know I’ve mentioned this several times before, but the algorithms that social media companies use prefer it when we post updates regularly, since they want a chance to keep people on their platforms with that engagement. As a result, posts with good engagement ratios can get boosted by the algorithm and the likelier you’ll see them in your feed.
Now, it’s a complicated approach and not as simple as I’m stating here. Being out for six weeks, I feel like I’ve practically been declared dead by my Instagram analytics! Lol. In a world now full of AI and dropshippers, these moments when small/micro business owners can’t operate their businesses for an extended period of time, it really feels like the show can’t go on. Coming back after an absence isn’t straight forward…perhaps it’s useful to describe it like a fluorescent like that’s just been switched on: I need time to warm up. Just before I was sick, my Instagram engagement was at 4500 accounts, and when I made this recent post, it was at 158 accounts. It took 3 months to build up to that level (from about 1000 accounts engaged) and just under 5 weeks for it to practically zero out.
I was a bit too over zealous thinking I could do all my Expertly Dyed tasks, like filming and blog writing, when I still had a ton of household chores I put off for the duration of my illness. I’m worn out by 1pm right now and I still need 2-3 hour naps on weekends so I can survive my normal work week. Being autistic, I feel guilty when my desire and reality can’t align the way I want to. Taking care of my recovery is incredibly important, and I realise now how often I let my personal guilt make my recovery take longer. As well, it would lead to burnout which I’d push myself through until I got sick again (or it would make this feel like a job instead of a creative project). Posting this blog means that I’ve ticked off a few more household things and I’ve got the energy to post this entry. I’ll take that as a win!
Before I got sick, I wanted to make a sweater from some lovely southdown wool I washed a couple of months ago. It was soft and springy and I wanted to eventually do a Fiber Talk episode on it. Though it will probably be spring by the time I finish knitting it, I decided to go ahead with the project. I’ll be posting updates on Instagram/Facebook, so if you’re curious and want some feedback as I go through the project, feel free to follow it there! Speaking of Fiber Talk episodes, I nearly got one filmed on this past Sunday, so I’m hopeful that I will have the energy to get it done this afternoon. For those who enjoyed my first podcast episode, I’ll be filming a new topic, possibly at the same time as I do the Fiber Talk, so I can get back into an efficient schedule for new and exciting content for you.
