Publishing Model

I found the internet in three steps:

1. Lagos, 2006: My mum buys a PC at home.
2. Ibadan, 2008: My mum buys me an Acer laptop for A-Levels.
3. Ile-Ife, 2009: The cyber cafe at Angola in my first year at OAU.

By 2010, I was deep into Facebook. I wrote poems, shared my newfound love for graphic design and posted albums of life in uni.

Twitter took over a few years later. It brought all of the strange people in school together and connected us beyond Osun state. It was a beautiful subculture: gossip, inter-school wars, parties and a lot of blogs.

On the internet I was free. “thatmerrykid” was a brand new identity to express myself as I wanted to. And express myself I did! I created a Wordpress blog and poured my thoughts out.

After uni, I didn’t want to be called “merrykid” anymore. I felt grown up with my new jobs and new apartment. So I changed my username to “fathermerry”. And then I made so many new friends.

Medium came next. I loved it right away and picked up from Wordpress. With no one to consider, I poured myself to the internet again. No thought was too sacred. No feelings were too private.

At some point, I started to struggle with this identity.

Being called fathermerry felt like being called to play a character. But this character was my life, and although I put myself out willingly, I didn’t want a public life. The whole thing was very confusing.

I found my voice on the internet, and publishing had become the easiest way to express myself. But because I struggled with my evolving identity, I felt pent up and unable to write freely.

I also lost Twitter. It became too big, too busy, too unsafe. I cut it for about a year and became more passive when I got back. I locked my Instagram and restricted it to people I’ve met.

The fundamental issue was that my audience had grown out of control. 5k followers seems harmless when you’re fresh out of uni. But with my growing professional success and reluctance to become a brand, it started to feel like a liability. I constantly considered nuking the username.

But at the same time, I didn’t want to start afresh.

Earlier this year, I started to explore a new model for publishing that allows me to write freely. At first I thought I was building new software, but it ended up being a simple mental change.

The foundation of my new system is - surprise - journaling!

I start all my writing in a notetaking app and then decide what gets published later. My problem was not the audience; it was a premature consideration for the audience.

Now, I journal first.

• If it’s to someone or a small group, I email them directly.
• If it’s a fleeting or raw thought, I generate a temporary link.
• If it’s worth documenting, I publish to my website.
• If it’s about work, I publish to the appropriate blog.

I also apply this “record first, publish later” philosophy to my photography. By pausing to reflect on who I want to share with, I’m able to decide what channel I prefer: sending the photos directly, creating a shared album, or publishing to social media.

I’ve been doing this for a while now and I feel comfortable on the internet again. I write more consistently and honestly. I’m also able to maintain a sense of authenticity in my publishing that feels true to who I am.

It’s ok to call me fathermerry - it’s just a username. #ntd