BEING A CONTENT CREATOR IN THE AGE OF COVID-19
My name is Alessa Mieses. Most of you know me as Ally. A lot of you know me on Instagram as @TheGirlLovesMagic. I’ve been a blogger now for about 9 years. I’m not the biggest blogger but I make due. I’m not looking for pity or praise. I’m looking for understanding in these times. You see things around the world aren’t great at the moment. COVID-19 has run through many countries with no remorse. It doesn’t care about your race, religion, sex, or beliefs. It just wants to terrorize your body and damage it. God willing and with science on our side, most people will recover.
You hear a lot about what many are going through. For most, they can stay home and wait out this virus. For most who work hourly, this just isn’t the same. As someone who has worked in retail for 17 years, I can tell you that every hour we don’t work is one less meal, one less bill to pay, one less MetroCard swipe. It’s not good. That’s why I fight so hard to make sure my friends in retail know their rights especially now with the ever-changing laws, paid sick leave for some (not all! how shameful) and bosses who fear corporate more than understanding the severity of the situation. I feel for my brothers and sisters in customer service. I pray none of them to have to deal with what many others are dealing with. There is another professional I haven’t heard much about yet…the Content Creator.
Yes, I make content. I have my photo taken, I write a ton, I sponsor posts. Most people think my job isn’t real. Other people will tell you it is. Other people will tell you what we do is very hard. Setting up cameras, setting up shots, making sure the product looks good, making sure captions are good. Even with this blog, I have to make sure everything is suitable for those who read daily. Setting up deals, making sure I get paid (and not just in free stuff) is a lot of work. When this virus first began in December I was worried about Holiday content and my trip to Japan. By January we’d heard rumors of a virus while in Japan but thought nothing of it. By the time we got home, China was shutting down borders and quarantining whole cities. No one was testing at airports yet. No one was worried yet. We had no clue what was coming.
My content remained the same. Happy and full of joy. My Japan content did incredibly well. I had gotten amazing content. What I didn’t tell people was that I was nervous. The virus was getting bad and I had just come from a region that had a few cases. I came back feeling ill and watching my fever. I knew what this was even then and have been stressed ever since. The content still, happy and joyous. It wasn’t that I wanted to hide my feelings. It became about not scaring people for me. Alas, my illness was just a cold. I bounced back quickly. Thank god.
As time went on and NYC got its first case the reality of the situation became a wide reality. People noticed. People were (and still are) scared. I finally felt ok with being vocal about my concerns. What was I met with? “Oh, It’s just a Flu” or “Oh this will pass” or having people who I thought were friends tell me I was being brainwashed by the media. Now at the time of posting, we all know it’s not the case. As I type this (March 18th) there are almost 1,500 cases in New York of those 1300+ in the city alone. Twenty people have died and a lot of that has happened within the past 4 days. Schools are closed, working from home is the real reality and coming up with content…HOW? I know what most will say, that it’s ok to post Disney styles I love. I, however, felt the need to post inspiring tips, a few mantras (that I use a lot since my therapy sessions have ended) and have been more thankful than ever. The likes aren’t there as much and the engagement isn’t there as much. Even with my blog, my shop page is taking a hit. People either want an escape or they want reality and being a Content Creator we have to be able to do both. My struggle is to bring my joy back.
How does one bring the joy back when they have immune deficiencies and are told to stay home most days. It’s not like I haven’t been doing that already but now it’s because I fear sickness, I fear death. I get nervous when I see hundreds on a beach in Florida or I see people still holding festivals. The amount of people who don’t care about my health is staggering. Even people in my own family don’t understand how a virus like this can do damage beyond belief. It’s a bit jarring for me. Alas, I have to realign. I have to bring back that joy. Instagram friends have helped greatly, my Women’s History Month project has helped greatly. The shine is coming back despite the numbers of the ill increasing, despite the fear in the back of my mind.
What you can do as a reader/follower? Help us, help you. Allow people to be happy for you. Don’t be angry if they have a story or a picture from the outside world. We all still need to go outside of course even with social distancing. Shop things from their shopping pages so they can get a small commission. Swipe up on links, visit blog pages. Escape from this virus with us when needed. I’m not saying to not be informed. I’m saying we can be your escape. Everyone is sensitive to the situation at the moment. Take a deep breath. As they say in High School Musical WERE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. Understand that we have a job to do as creators even in the time of panic. That job is to help make life feel more normal for you.
Be safe out there Guys & Dolls. We live in a new world now and it’s time to behave like it. Remember to let us in and help you in any way. We are always around. Much Love.
