I've really enjoyed your videos on TikTok Helen. I started there in 2021 or 22. Well I did feel at first that it was a young person's app overtime I've definitely refined my feed and it's now filled with an amazing array of 40 and 50 something women.
As far as creating and the number of views I've rarely gotten above 2 or 300 views. I'm not quite sure what it is about a video that makes it stay at that level or on the very rare currents go much higher than that level.
I'm not necessarily aiming for any specific thing other than having fun and I think that app is really fun, Which is why I continue to be there. Although I definitely do it in fits and starts and sports depending on how I feel, And what else I've got going on.
You're not too old for anything, Helen! Go where your heart takes you!
I was sooo interested to read your words 'apparent confidence'.
I am in awe of confident people. I'm the antithesis of a confident person, but at my current stage of life (I'm soon going to wave goodbye to my forties) I am at last becoming a little less uncomfortable with my lack of confidence. I've tried the lot in my time: to 'fake it till I make it'; to 'put a confident face on even if it's not my own'; to be someone else entirely, sometimes. Results have been mixed, but mostly poor! 🤣 (That could well just be me!)
If my own confidence - and this IS the case - is actually *only* 'apparent' confidence, then hey, perhaps all of those confident people out there feel exactly the same as I do? Gonna think about that!
I just followed you over there. I'm VERY new there and have no clue what I'm doing. But I'm enjoying just playing there a bit while I don't have any of my 'real-life' friends and family on there. It's a place I can test things out and not feel TOO gross about it. Anyway, I'm excited to see you over there.
I've avoided TikTok because I simply do not have time for yet another social media platform - I'm too busy writing and promoting my books. And never mind the rest of my life, which sometimes gets not enough attention. I didn't start writing seriously for the love of it until after I retired. It's never too late. Never.
I can relate. I am 58 years old, I am a musician and filmmaker. I create content for YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and here on substack. For some reason I could never bring myself to try tik tok - it always felt like that was entirely meant for the younger generations. I know that there are plenty of people my age and older on there, but I always thought that I'd be out of place and it would just be a humiliation to post videos and get no views and no audience.
The rational part of my brain tells me that is foolish and negative thinking. But the prideful / egotistical part of my brain keeps telling me it would be a waste of time and ultimately end in more frustration after all the effort. I mean, how many platforms can you fail on before you reach total burnout and just quit?
But, as you said, that is mostly just me getting into 'comparison mode'. I am not a kid or a twenty something, I'm a middle aged dude from a different era with a different approach and skillset, so my audience is going to be different and that's okay. You just make your stuff and put it out there, let the audience decide how to engage or not engage.
I really enjoy your TikTok videos, Helen, but I know what you mean about feeling a bit out of place there... I keep using it because I get better reach there than I do on Instagram (and because I'm always hearing authors talk about how one viral video there changed their life, and hoping I might one day be one of them!), but I feel very much like a fish out of water, which means I can go for long periods without using it. With that said, video has never really been my thing, whereas you do so well with that that I'm sure you'll find your people there sooner or later - there has to be more of us out there!
Helen, you know I would follow you to the edge of the internet and beyond, just not to TikTok 😂. I, very briefly, tried to use TikTok (by which i mean I made an account and looked at some videos) but it's just not for me. It's far too busy and too full of really awful stuff that I cannot be arsed to wade through to get to the good stuff (because I know it's on there). I also noticed, during my brief time there, that it started taking up far too much of my creative brain space and I wanted to keep that for my writing.
Painting is my 'supportive' creative outlet (Because I think we all need a companion to our writing to help fill our wells) and that doesn't erode my soul like most social media outlets do.
So no, you're definitely not too old - if I was on there, I wouldn't be interested in the 20-something writers because I can't relate to their lives (probably couldn't when I was 20-something!) so the more older writers on there, the better! xo
I tried tiktok recently for a couple of weeks (I'm more of a bookstagrammer) and felt totally out of my comfort zone. I spent what felt like ages trying to find people in their forties and fifties without much success (I'm 47). Compared to Instagram, every video seemed to be trying to fit a formula. (Although sadly Instagram is going that way too). It was like trying to learn a different language.
However! I will definitely check your videos out as I miss you on YouTube. ❤️ I find your videos so comforting and inspiring. I remember trying to find some YouTubers similar to you, but none hit the spot!!
Do you have any recommendations for who else to follow on tiktok?
I have been avoiding TikTok and went on recently to see if it really was a space that I could delve into….all I saw were girls in their 20s. Where are the others?? How do we find them??
I too am looking for women in their forties and fifties on TikTok and struggling…there must be more of us out there! I will keep exploring and report back x
I wonder if I need to train the algorithm because all I’ve been shown are talking head videos of girls in the 20s or early 30s.
Where are the people that look like me? In their 40s.
Also, I’m slightly scared I’ll get addicted! 😅
I've really enjoyed your videos on TikTok Helen. I started there in 2021 or 22. Well I did feel at first that it was a young person's app overtime I've definitely refined my feed and it's now filled with an amazing array of 40 and 50 something women.
As far as creating and the number of views I've rarely gotten above 2 or 300 views. I'm not quite sure what it is about a video that makes it stay at that level or on the very rare currents go much higher than that level.
I'm not necessarily aiming for any specific thing other than having fun and I think that app is really fun, Which is why I continue to be there. Although I definitely do it in fits and starts and sports depending on how I feel, And what else I've got going on.
You're not too old for anything, Helen! Go where your heart takes you!
I was sooo interested to read your words 'apparent confidence'.
I am in awe of confident people. I'm the antithesis of a confident person, but at my current stage of life (I'm soon going to wave goodbye to my forties) I am at last becoming a little less uncomfortable with my lack of confidence. I've tried the lot in my time: to 'fake it till I make it'; to 'put a confident face on even if it's not my own'; to be someone else entirely, sometimes. Results have been mixed, but mostly poor! 🤣 (That could well just be me!)
If my own confidence - and this IS the case - is actually *only* 'apparent' confidence, then hey, perhaps all of those confident people out there feel exactly the same as I do? Gonna think about that!
I just followed you over there. I'm VERY new there and have no clue what I'm doing. But I'm enjoying just playing there a bit while I don't have any of my 'real-life' friends and family on there. It's a place I can test things out and not feel TOO gross about it. Anyway, I'm excited to see you over there.
I've avoided TikTok because I simply do not have time for yet another social media platform - I'm too busy writing and promoting my books. And never mind the rest of my life, which sometimes gets not enough attention. I didn't start writing seriously for the love of it until after I retired. It's never too late. Never.
I can relate. I am 58 years old, I am a musician and filmmaker. I create content for YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and here on substack. For some reason I could never bring myself to try tik tok - it always felt like that was entirely meant for the younger generations. I know that there are plenty of people my age and older on there, but I always thought that I'd be out of place and it would just be a humiliation to post videos and get no views and no audience.
The rational part of my brain tells me that is foolish and negative thinking. But the prideful / egotistical part of my brain keeps telling me it would be a waste of time and ultimately end in more frustration after all the effort. I mean, how many platforms can you fail on before you reach total burnout and just quit?
But, as you said, that is mostly just me getting into 'comparison mode'. I am not a kid or a twenty something, I'm a middle aged dude from a different era with a different approach and skillset, so my audience is going to be different and that's okay. You just make your stuff and put it out there, let the audience decide how to engage or not engage.
I really enjoy your TikTok videos, Helen, but I know what you mean about feeling a bit out of place there... I keep using it because I get better reach there than I do on Instagram (and because I'm always hearing authors talk about how one viral video there changed their life, and hoping I might one day be one of them!), but I feel very much like a fish out of water, which means I can go for long periods without using it. With that said, video has never really been my thing, whereas you do so well with that that I'm sure you'll find your people there sooner or later - there has to be more of us out there!
Thank you! I was inspired to come back because of your videos. (Plus I hear the creator fund can be good!🤣)
Helen, you know I would follow you to the edge of the internet and beyond, just not to TikTok 😂. I, very briefly, tried to use TikTok (by which i mean I made an account and looked at some videos) but it's just not for me. It's far too busy and too full of really awful stuff that I cannot be arsed to wade through to get to the good stuff (because I know it's on there). I also noticed, during my brief time there, that it started taking up far too much of my creative brain space and I wanted to keep that for my writing.
Painting is my 'supportive' creative outlet (Because I think we all need a companion to our writing to help fill our wells) and that doesn't erode my soul like most social media outlets do.
So no, you're definitely not too old - if I was on there, I wouldn't be interested in the 20-something writers because I can't relate to their lives (probably couldn't when I was 20-something!) so the more older writers on there, the better! xo
Haha I honestly didn’t expect you to, Mel!! 🤣
I tried tiktok recently for a couple of weeks (I'm more of a bookstagrammer) and felt totally out of my comfort zone. I spent what felt like ages trying to find people in their forties and fifties without much success (I'm 47). Compared to Instagram, every video seemed to be trying to fit a formula. (Although sadly Instagram is going that way too). It was like trying to learn a different language.
However! I will definitely check your videos out as I miss you on YouTube. ❤️ I find your videos so comforting and inspiring. I remember trying to find some YouTubers similar to you, but none hit the spot!!
Do you have any recommendations for who else to follow on tiktok?
I have been avoiding TikTok and went on recently to see if it really was a space that I could delve into….all I saw were girls in their 20s. Where are the others?? How do we find them??
I've tried searching for various hashtags to no avail. I think they do exist though.
I too am looking for women in their forties and fifties on TikTok and struggling…there must be more of us out there! I will keep exploring and report back x
Thank you ❤️