For creators whose careers depend on sharing their lives online, there aren’t always many opportunities to be honest with each other on camera.
That’s the premise of Mashable’s new video series, Creator to Creator. This series brings together some of the internet’s biggest names for candid conversations about the realities of building lives and careers online. We started by pairing two creators on this year’s Mashable 101 list: comedian and storyteller Taryn Delaney Smith and author and commentator Kay Poyer.
Credit: Ian Moore/Mashable
The conversation started with change. Smith recently traded city life for a home in upstate New York where she keeps a small flock of chickens, while Poyer is adjusting to life in New York City after moving from her native Texas. We both found ourselves reflecting on this new chapter with a balance of excitement and anxiety.
The move felt especially important to Smith, whose online career helped make homeownership possible. “Being a creator has opened so many doors for me,” she said. “I’m so grateful for the community.”
From there, the discussion turned to issues familiar to many creators. What happens when the success of the Internet opens the door to more traditional creative industries?
Credit: Ian Moore/Mashable
Both Smith and Poyer spoke about pursuing writing and acting alongside content creation, and the self-doubt that comes with it. Poyer described entering a new creative space and wondering if she belonged. Smith said right away.
Recalling her first professional acting job on the Amazon Prime Video series “Harlem,” Smith said she was worried that people would think she didn’t deserve to be there because her career started online. “I don’t want people to think I don’t deserve to be here,” she recalled thinking. “Because I want to be here so bad. I really think I could get better if I had more time.”
It’s something we’ve both struggled with: who counts as a “real” writer, actor, or director, and why creators are asked to justify the opportunities others receive without explanation. Smith recalled hearing someone in her acting class criticize an influencer entering the acting world and realizing that she didn’t have to accept it as truth to understand their frustration.
“I can have some sympathy for your feelings without deciding that I don’t deserve to be here,” she said.
Credit: Ian Moore/Mashable
Poyer agreed, arguing that content creation is still a relatively young industry and career paths are yet to be defined. The skills creators develop to build audiences and sustain their careers online may not fit neatly into traditional categories, but they’re still valuable.
Part 1 of the conversation ends here. In Part 2 next week, Smith and Poyer take a deep dive into internet fame, audience expectations, and whether people actually like being called “influencers.”
Watch the full conversation above.
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