In building something, it can be tempting to take shortcuts, to persuade people to buy into your idea. This may come with short term benefits, but is unlikely to represent true growth in the long term, for shallow, indifferent interest burns away faster. Organic growth is more of a slow burn.
There's an argument to faking it until you make it, but if people are used to the faking it side of you, then interest may dwindle if you stop employing those tactics. Gimmicks will only get you so far. On YouTube, one thing I hear on every video is, "Like, Comment & Subscribe." It shows the viewer you are not secure enough about the quality of your content that you need to remind people to like your content. It is ego that assumes people truly interested in your content need to be reminded to subscribe, and want to be reminded in every video thereafter. Most people can see through clever gimmicks. It becomes something to be fast forwarded through to get to the real content.
Organic growth may be slow at first, but momentum gained with each loyal follower means the level of success will eventually surpass the max level of finessing your way to success and maintain a level of parity with being true to yourself. There's a reason why it is easier to innovate than to invent. All inventions are innovations, but not all innovations are inventive.
Do not set out to only do what you enjoy. Enjoy what you do, regardless of what it is and people will stand up and take notice. Stop trying to cater to those who aren't really interested. Brick by brick, drawing by drawing, you become a little bit better than you were yesterday, and because you know you've not taken any shortcuts, each new subscriber feels that much more special.
So stop fronting, be yourself, stay positive, stay focused. Seek out truth, but never settle on it. Be nice to yourself along the way. You may feel like you are ahead sometimes, behind at other times, but in the end, you are only in a race with yourself.
