The biggest challenges in creating online courses
Over the last year or so, I have been creating courses and short YouTube videos for techies working with the Shopify platform. My audience is generally developers, designers, and other freelancers and agencies. The courses include theme and app development and a freelancing guide for non-developers. I currently have just over 2500 students enrolled in all of my courses. Additionally, after seeing demand for an online community, I launched a free slack group to help connect like-minded individuals together.
I decided to release my first course after I couldn’t find a good one anywhere. I felt something was missing from the ones that were available and that I could provide some value for people like myself. Initially, and still too this day, I face a lot of inner obstacles when creating content that I want to share with you. Here are some of the biggest challenges that I faced:
1. Imposter Syndrome
This is a big one for anyone and is apparently an even bigger problem in software engineering since technology is changing so quickly and we have an expectation to know everything. This imposter syndrome is exaggerated when trying to release online courses or any educational material because you are claiming to know something well enough to share it with everyone. Additionally, you are under the scrutiny of anonymous views who can sometimes be mean. The most difficult part about releasing video content for me was not actually creating the content. It was about overpowering my fear of criticism.
2. Dealing with criticism
Many of us have a hard to dealing with criticism. It makes us feel like we are doing everything wrong and generally we feel defensive about it. Overcoming the negative reaction to criticism is a huge part of growing as an adult. If you aren’t good at dealing with criticism in person, online criticism will feel like it’s on steroids. You will get a lot of it and unlike in person criticism, online criticism will be 100% honest. No sugarcoating, no beating around the bush. People will tell you exactly what they think of you and your content, especially if they paid for it.
At the beginning it used to bother me a lot, I was get very defensive and many times it would ruin my day. However, there are many kind people also, and people that I was actually able to provide value to. Those are the ones that kept me going. Hearing how I helped someone land a Shopify related job or helping with a freelance project outweighed all of the negative feedback. The negative criticism was not all bad either, it pushed me to improve my content and create more value for my viewers. It just took me a while to get used to it and grow thick skin.
3. Staying motivated and creative
I am always so impressed by creators of any kind that have remained consistent for many years. Regardless what anyone says, consistently creating and releasing content is hard. It takes dedication, self-drive, and creativity. Creativity being the biggest one in my opinion. Without it, we have a difficult time imagining what the final product can be. This image of the final product is what pushes us to create and release.
I am still on my creator journey and I am trying to improve everyday. That is the reason I am writing these blog posts. I believe creating is a muscle we can train like any other muscle.
After a year of creating and learning to be a creator, I have collected these tips:
- Don’t take feedback/criticism personally, if it bothers you and prevents you from creating, then stop reading it all together and focus on your art.
- Take it one step at a time. Don’t make grand plans right away. Our future success is solely based on the success of our present moment. So focus on putting your attention to the work that you are doing right now, stop thinking so far ahead.
- Don’t put so much stress on yourself by tying yourself to the outcome. Focus on the process because that is the only thing that you can control.
“You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions.” — Bhagavad Gita.
“The practice is not the means to the output, the practice is the output, because the practice is all we can control.” — The Practice by Seth Godin
- Build for yourself first. How do you expect other people to like your content if you don’t even like it? Ask yourself “Is what I’m doing serving me?” “Am I still enjoying the process of creating?” Put yourself first. Do not get caught up in creating for others as an obligation. Create out of love and abundance, not out of need.
Go ahead, create, learn, make mistakes.
“It is better to follow your own path, however imperfectly, than to follow someone else’s perfectly. “ — The Bhagavad-Gita
