Season of Influence

One of the more interesting occupations that's popped into the world in the past five (ten)? years got me wishing I'd had the option, way back when I was deciding what to do to keep body and soul together. I always knew I loved writing, but ... writing is hard. I love writing plays, stories, songs, novels... but all the writing I do for other stuff takes time from the writing I want to do.

So, yes, this new... occupation? Profession? Pastime? --intrigues me, though I think you'd have to be good, much better than you think, to make any money at it. 

Guessed yet? It's an influencer - I should capitalize it, I suppose. Hanging out on sites like Instagram and Facebook and Snapchat and other sites, influencing people to buy products they never knew they wanted.

Because advertising is as old as the devil himself. And because no matter how mature we become and how much experience teaches us, we still cannot keep ourselves from wanting, and eventually, shopping.

I try not to shop. I really do. I try only to buy stuff when I can't help it -- like when my clothes wear out or my furniture falls apart... but I have never, ever succeeded. I am probably buying stuff online once a week, though I try really, really hard to wait two weeks--even three.

I think the best influencers know that humanity is not based on what it gets. It's based on what we want. We are all looking for something, a wing, a prayer, a wish, seven wishes. Fuller, longer straighter hair; curly hair; earrings.

Clothes that make us look wickedly perfect, books that take us away from daily drudgeries, music that floats us, houses that affirm who we are to ourselves, vacations, arm chairs, purses, slipcovers.

Antique lamps, olive oil, boots, garden pots, computers, jewelry, makeup, healthy foods, not-so-healthy foods. Ancient wines. Coffee.

Good influencers know we want a promise, and that promise makes us believe we can actually get what we want by shopping for it, rather than spending long hours indoors at our desks, writing or hammering or drawing up plans. Influencers, like the snake in the Garden of Eden (the first influencer)? -- know we can never be happy, because we will always want more,  and whatever we do get will lose its charm in a matter of weeks, not months.

The most interesting influencers aren't trying to get you to buy stuff, in my opinion. They're trying to get you to go somewhere. I say this because if I had my choice of doing anything in the world, it would have to be travel. I cannot think of anything that could possibly give you more than experiencing new people, places and languages every month (even every other month).

But making enough money to travel and live on what you make isn't easy, I'm sure. You have to figure out how to stand out, how to make people follow you so other advertisers want you, and then probably sell your soul to those advertisers to keep going.

Could I do that?

I don't know.

It just makes me so tired to think of it.

Writing's hard. Wanting is harder. Figuring out what people want must be hardest of all.

I think I'll go back to my desk again.  (Sigh).

But I'm pasting some influencer articles here in case you do or don't want your child to grow up to be one. And in case I change my mind.

Want to Become an Influencer? Follow these 13 Steps
How to Become an Influencer: a Beginner's Guide
How to Become an Influencer in Your Industry


Travel photo: Rawpixel_Ltd