How to Grow an Audience Without Selling Your Soul

Take It or Leave It Creative Advice

This week, we’re tackling three questions that hit at the heart of the creative journey:

We’ll start with a reflection on bravery—where it comes from, and how to access it when fear won’t let go.

Then we’ll talk about how to actually bring your ideas to life, especially when you’re stuck in the cycle of dreaming without doing.

And finally, we’ll end with a deep dive on how to grow an audience—the mindset, mechanics, and a few tricks I’ve learned over the past decade of making content that’s been seen over a billion times.

Let’s get into it.

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Hey Moshosho,

What a great question. And you already answered half of it yourself.

The key word isn’t fearlessness—it’s bravery.

I’m not sure fear ever really goes away, even when you become successful. Old fears get conquered, but new ones show up. It’s the act of bravery that separates the artists you admire.

Bravery isn’t something you learn. It’s something you do.

If you’re afraid to do something, especially something you know deep down you want to do, that’s your comfort zone trying to protect you. But the comfort zone is where ideas go to die. Being comfortable is the enemy of progress. So if you’re desperately searching for a breakthrough, and there’s something calling you, you’ve got to push through the fear and move toward it.

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Now, you don’t have to slay the dragon on day one. Start with little acts of bravery.

Maybe that bravery is talking to the person in line next to you at the store.

Maybe it’s speaking up with an idea in a meeting.

Maybe it’s wearing the loud shirt that’s been sitting in your closet for two months because you’re scared you can’t pull it off.

Bravery is built by consistently refusing to let fear win.

When you practice bravery in the small moments, it becomes easier to show up in the big ones. You’ve got proof: I’ve done this before. It worked. Why shouldn’t it work now?

Only you know what you’re afraid of.

And you owe it to yourself to face that fear so you can set yourself free.

Fear is a liar. Don’t listen to it.

Be brave in small ways, so you can be brave in the big ones.

You can do this. I promise you. Even if it stings, even if it doesn’t go perfectly, you’ll be better for it. And the next time you face something scary, it’ll be a little easier.

Go be brave.

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Hi Michi,

Thanks for this question.

The ideation phase is so fun and exhilarating because it’s literally endless. When you’re in the ideation phase of a project, it can feel just like the first steps in a relationship with a person—you only see the good in it and the possibility. That’s a great, romantic spot to be in.

But when it comes time to actually execute on your idea, that’s when the pain comes in.