My Thoughts On Creativity…
The world doesn't need more of the same… it needs you…your unique perspective, your wild ideas, your willingness to try something different.
Creativity isn't just for the artists and poets; its for all of us, it's the spark that drives every innovation, solves every problem, and bridges every divide. When you lean into your creative instincts, you're not just making something new…you're modeling possibility for others. You're showing that there's another way to approach old challenges, that beauty and function can coexist, that playfulness has a place in serious work.
Every time you choose imagination over convention, you make the world a little more vibrant, a little more hopeful, a little more human. So trust that creative voice inside you. It knows something the rest of us need to hear.
🌱 SIEMBRA LESSONS
MENTAL HEALTH MOMENT
🌎 The Silent Toll of the Blank Page
For a creator, writer’s block is rarely just a pause in productivity; it is often a profound psychological stressor that can significantly impact mental health. Because creators frequently tie their self-worth to their output, a period of stagnation can trigger a debilitating cycle of negative emotions.
Key Impacts on Mental Well-Being:
The Imposter Phenomenon: Prolonged inability to create often feeds the fear that one’s previous successes were accidents. This can lead to spiraling self-doubt and a fear of being "found out" as lacking talent.
Anxiety and Avoidance: The pressure to break the block can transform the workspace into a source of high anxiety. This often leads to avoidance behaviors—procrastinating or engaging in distractions—which only deepens the guilt and stress.
Identity Crisis: When "I create" is a core part of "who I am," the inability to produce can feel like a loss of identity. This disconnect can lead to feelings of emptiness or depression.
Burnout: Ironically, the effort spent worrying about not working can be more exhausting than the work itself. The mental energy consumed by frustration leaves little reserve for actual creativity or self-care.
Breaking the Cycle
Recognizing that writer's block is a natural part of the creative rhythm, rather than a personal failure, is the first step toward protecting mental health. Shifting the focus from product to process—and allowing for imperfect drafts—can help lower the psychological stakes and reduce anxiety.
Weekly Creator Brief: The Nano & Micro Edge
Week of January 12–18, 2026
Instagram Limits Hashtags for Better Discovery: In a major move to streamline content indexing, Instagram is now limiting hashtags to just five per post. The platform is shifting its reliance toward "Social SEO," focusing on keywords within captions and alt-text rather than hashtag volume. Creators should prioritize descriptive, keyword-rich captions to ensure their content surfaces in the increasingly popular "Your Algorithm" interest-tuning feature.
LinkedIn Launches AI-Powered "Conversational Search": LinkedIn has rolled out a natural language search tool for Premium users, allowing creators to find niche communities and brand partners using casual queries like "find influencers with skincare expertise in NYC." This makes professional discovery much more accessible for micro-influencers looking to land B2B partnerships without complex Boolean searches.
🔥 Trend Alerts & Marketing Shifts
Creator Economy Surges to $43.9B with Micro-Influencer Revolution
The creator economy officially hits mainstream maturity in 2026, with U.S. ad spend projected at $43.9 billion—an 18% jump from 2025's $37.1 billion. The fastest-growing segment is paid amplification of creator content, expected to reach $13.2 billion (up 48% year-over-year), proving brands now treat influencer content as performance media worthy of paid distribution. Critically, 92% of marketers plan to work with both macro and micro influencers simultaneously, abandoning the one-tier approach in favor of diversified creator partnerships.
This validates what small creators have known all along: engagement beats follower count. The shift reflects brands recognizing that different influencer tiers serve different funnel stages—micro creators excel at authentic storytelling and community trust, while macro influencers drive awareness. For nano and micro creators, this means more brand deals, better compensation, and recognition as essential marketing partners rather than budget alternatives.
📖 Read more: Digiday Creator Economy Report💰 Emerging Monetization & Tools
🗓️ Upcoming Events
SIEMBRA LESSONS
The Power of Collaboration
In Concrete Canvas, the entire city is your canvas. Can you make your mark across all five boroughs?
Ok… You have to see this. I literally found this just before I finised editing this newsletter so I had to include it.
Seriously, pull up a chair because I’ve been staring at this link for the last twenty minutes and it’s got me thinking about how rare it is to see two completely different worlds actually click.
I’m talking about this project, Concrete Canvas. On paper, it sounds like a collision that shouldn't work. You’ve got David Abelson, a game designer who lives in the world of logic, grids, and win conditions. Then you’ve got Chris RWK, a legend of the NYC street art scene… a guy whose work is defined by being ephemeral, painted on brick walls, exposed to the rain and the grit of the city.
In my experience, many times when these two worlds meet, it feels forced. Like someone just slapped a famous painting on a box cover and called it a day. But looking at this, I’m seeing something else. I’m seeing a genuine dialogue between the two.
Imagine the conversations they must have had. You can almost hear the designer asking, "How do we gamify the feeling of tagging a subway car?" and Chris having to translate the adrenaline of the street into a piece of cardboard. They had to meet in the middle. The "rattlecans" and the subway lines… those aren't just mechanics to move someone from point A to point B anymore; they’re memories.
They are pieces of Chris’s life history, translated into an experience that you and I can actually touch.
That’s the beauty of it. Collaboration here wasn't about compromise; it was about translation. The designer gave the artist a new structure—a way to make his "robots with hearts" and "ghosts" permanent, playable, and tactile. And in return, the artist gave the game a soul. He took a cold set of rules and injected them with the vibrant, chaotic energy of New York in the 80s and 90s.
Now I have not played the game yet… but I am excited about it. It makes me realize that the best collaborations are the ones where you can’t tell where one person’s work ends and the other’s begins. It’s not just a game, and it’s not just an art gallery. It’s this third thing—this "intersection"—that neither of them could have built alone.
It’s pretty inspiring, don’t you think?
Upcoming Creator Events
CAMPUSPEAK EVENT |
Free Virtual Public Talk on Community Building! |
Join Noel Quiñones for a dynamic, podcast-style conversation exploring the messy, beautiful, and essential work of building community. I'll be discussing how we can move beyond surface-level interactions and weave stronger connections through shared stories Here is what is happening in the next few weeks The calendar kicks off immediately with opportunities to connect without leaving your desk. On January 21, Women in Influencer Marketing (WIIM) hosts their Level Up Your Membership event, followed the next day by a Management Meetup on January 22. These are excellent low-barrier entry points for finding representation or peer support before the major conference season begins. Register for WIIM Events Closing out the month, if you are in the Chicago area, look for the Women of Influence: Author Edition event on January 28, a localized gathering for authors and thought leaders to network in person. Register at Eventbrite |
February: Hands-On Creativity & Strategic Marketing
As we move into February, the focus splits between hands-on creation and high-level strategy.
The first weekend invites lifestyle and DIY creators to the Kansas Pinners Conference (February 6–7) in Overland Park. This hybrid conference-expo is ideal for those in the crafting, cooking, and Pinterest-centric verticals who want to connect directly with their audience and brands. Register for Kansas Pinners
Mid-month, the literary community gathers in San Diego for FLOCK LoveLit Con (February 13–15). This is a dedicated space for "BookTok" influencers, authors, and readers to collaborate on trends in the publishing world. Register at LoveLit
The month concludes with a major industry heavyweight: the ANA Creator Marketing Conference in Las Vegas (February 23–25). This is a critical stop for those focused on the business side of the creator economy—expect to see major agencies and Fortune 500 brand representatives discussing ROI, AI, and the future of influencer spend. Register at ANA
March: The Cultural Convergence
March brings the busiest stretch of the season, headlined by the massive SXSW (South by Southwest) in Austin. While the festival runs longer, the Creator Economy Track specifically heats up from March 12–15. This is the place to be for spotting macro trends and rubbing shoulders with platforms and tech innovators. Register for SXSW
Following the energy of Austin, you have two distinct paths depending on your niche. For DIY and lifestyle creators in the West, the St. George Pinners Conference takes place in Utah on March 20–21. Register for St. George Pinners
Meanwhile, media professionals and writers have their own dedicated spaces. The ANA Media Conference in Nashville (March 25–27) offers a broader look at where media dollars are moving. Register at ANA
Finally, humor writers and bloggers will close out the 10-week window at the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop in Dayton, Ohio (March 26–28), a celebrated and intimate gathering for comedic storytellers. Register at Erma Bombeck Workshop
🛠️ Tool Stack of the Week:
AI Experts Club
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Inside the AI Experts Club, you’ll get live coaching, step-by-step AI training, and a supportive community built to help you actually use AI to grow your business, boost your productivity, and unlock new income streams — without overwhelm, confusion, or isolation.
📱 Social Platform Updates