4 Lessons From 1 Million Views
My “You’re so weird,” video clip went viral last week.
My “You’re so weird,” video clip went viral last week.
(It was an 11 second clip taken from a 43 minute live broadcast. I was giving a dramatic reading from my 2nd book, PROTAGONIST.)
The Instagram Reel quickly hit a million plays.
What did I learn?
LESSON 1: COMMENTERS ARE A TRIP!
95% of the comments were positive. My fellow weirdos were cheering me on and sharing the clip with their weird friends.
But those 5% of negative reactions were eye-opening.
Half of the haters appeared to be homophobic 9 year-olds.
The other half were people who felt I was not weird enough, too old to be weird, or a poser.
I had some fun responding to comments. Generally I don’t think that a negative commenter is worth the energy, but in a situation like this, the reply is for everyone else who might be watching. Some of my replies now have hundreds of likes.
“YOU HAVE TO *WORK* AT BEING WEIRD? IT SHOULD COME EASY. YOU ARE A POSER.”
“Are you intentionally misunderstanding? If you are truly weird, I’ll assume you know the effort it takes to be authentic in a world that pushes conformity.”
“THIS IS SAD. YOU ARE TOO OLD.”
“Alas, there is no expiration date on weirdness.”
“YOU NEED HELP.”
“We all need help. That’s what growth is all about!”
LESSON 2: YOUTUBE IS TRASH
After the awesome reaction on Instagram, I decided to post the same video on YouTube in their “Shorts” system.
70% of the viewers said they “DISLIKED” it.
And almost all the comments were hateful.
I think the YouTube algorithm was intentionally putting it in front of conservative people to stir up engagement.
I feel grateful that I have the foundation and resources to receive negative comments like that without it affecting me too much.
The most unsettling thing about the tide of haters was the reminder of how atypical my bubble is. I work hard to cultivate spaces that are supportive and non-judgmental. I forget how rare that can be in the world.
LESSON 3: VIEWS DOES NOT EQUAL FOLLOWERS
Of those million views, 4000 people became new followers. That is 0.4%
As the hits were flying in, my brain started strategizing about how to recreate this success. What about this clip made it popular!? I need to start doing more of that!
But my partner said something that helped me to pull out of the unhealthy hunger for MORE. She said, “Before I put too much effort into a new direction, I might ask myself, ‘What is this in service to? Is this in alignment to my deeper purpose?’”
Without thinking it through, I was working under the premise that “MORE VIEWS = BETTER.” I just assumed that a certain percentage of people will start watching my other stuff and I’ll have deeper connections and more impactful reach. That may be true. But maybe spending some time connecting to those new followers would be be energy more spent. Or maybe I should examine if I am falling into an unhealthy desire for popularity. At the very least I should take a breath and return to my, “Why am I doing this?”
LESSON 4: THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR WEIRD
As the week progressed and the Instagram views passed 1 million, it was obvious my 11 second message hit a nerve.
Clearly there are countless people who are tired of feeling judged and tired of holding back their brilliance.
We hunger for examples of proud weirdos.
We are desperate to feel supported in our uniqueness.
We see Radical Self Expression as a permission slip and a call to arms.
This is why living authentically can be such a courageous form of activism.
This is why I share so much online.
Sure, the commenters chastising my, “attention seeking” have a point.
But they miss that my digital screams are not just, “LOOK AT ME!”
I’m also saying, “JOIN ME!” And, “YOU ARE NOT ALONE!”
The positive responses and the negative ones are both confirmations for me to stay the course.
There are countless creative, good-hearted people out there who tone themselves down for fear of ridicule. But when they see other people living boldly and being courageously kind — it can give them hope. The simplest gestures of compassion and connection can role model an alternate way to be in this world.
THIS is why I do “Hug Nation Love Morning” broadcasts every day.
THIS is why we need to be loud and proud with our bright lights.
THIS is why demonstrating basic kindness is so important.
THIS is why we all need to step up and be Love Ambassadors.
When I say in the video that, “I work so hard,” to be weird, THIS is what I meant.
It takes courage to be vulnerable in a world so quick to ridicule.
It takes effort to shine your light brightly in a world that is so eager to throw shade.
The world needs your weird!
As Marianne Williamson wrote, “…as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.”
Thanks for shining with me, you beautiful, wonderful weirdo.
Love,
Halcyon
BONUS LESSON 5: LIP SYNCING IS THE MOST SINCERE FORM OF FLATTERY
As my Reel trended, people started using my audio in their own Reels.
100+ people lipsync’ed my words. It was a truly unique and wonderful experience to watch my voice come out of beautiful strangers’ mouths. In my 25 years of sharing online, I’ve never experienced anything like it.
(Below is a quick cut of some of them, or VIEW ALL REMIXES)
(Watch my original 11 second viral clip on Instagram… and FOLLOW ME!)