If You Are Feeling Invisible, You Are Not Alone

The harsh reality of writers and creators

Have you ever felt invisible?

I have.

It’s tough. It hits your self-esteem and makes you want to disappear underground to become even more invisible.

Having moved countries from a very young age, as the new kid in the class who didn’t belong to any group, being invisible was just…life.

I have lived in 9 countries, from Brazil to the Netherlands, Australia, and China…and every single time I had to begin from zero and do a cultural reset, reprograming my human software the same way you press the restart button in your computer: learn a new language, take the courage to approach strangers, fill a blank page, speak with an accent, ask for a play date... I had to start building a new me in a new world, one brick at a time, and remove the layers of invisibility.

One day in kindergarten, a French girl called Laure gave me a pink card. It was the first time I was invited to someone’s birthday party in France. That night, I fell asleep with the birthday card under my pillow.

Feeling invisible is part of life, whether you start a new job, move to a new country, or decide to build in public.

And it’s a freaking great thing: it means you are exposing yourself, taking new risks and stepping out of your comfort zone.

Being invisible is part of writing and creating too. The beginnings are hard and no one prepares you for it. It doesn’t matter how great you are and how good your work is. When you start, you are the new kid on the block. The one who doesn’t get invited to birthday parties. The one people don’t notice.

And it’s on you.

It’s on you to show up and make an effort.

It’s on you to approach people and let them know your story.

It’s on you to support others even if you don’t get anything in return.

It’s on you to wear your best gala and keep pressing the publish button every day.

Even if the room is empty and you don’t get a single like.

When I started on LinkedIn, I barely had any comments.

When I started on Substack, I was the only one liking my Notes.

And by the way, it’s okay to like your own posts.

I recently launched my Spanish Substack, El Limonero 🌳🍋 and I’m literally talking to myself in the group chat.

Feeling invisible is normal and you shouldn’t be discouraged or make it personal. It’s not a life sentence. It took me 1 year to get momentum on Substack and months for people to notice my Notes and start engaging.

Today, many get hundreds of likes, but I had to embrace my invisibility first and get comfortable with the void.

The creative world is just like real life.

You need to build connections, take the first step and keep doing what you love because you love what you do.

And one day, a stranger drops a comment, you get a like or a heart, and you realize there’s someone on the other side. It’s not just you talking to yourself.

So keep going, embrace your invisibility and remove its layers one at a time with courage, perseverance and positivity.

One day someone will notice you, you will get invited to the birthday party, and you will have a blast.

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Lemons & Lemonade 🍋

November’s topic is Storytelling and you don’t want to miss out on your lemonade:

• A Live Chat on Public Speaking and Storytelling with a World Bank Executive

• Storytelling Techniques to write stories that people love (and go viral)

• A Guest Post by Neera Mahajan on how she used the power of storytelling to publish 6 books

• A Webinar on Notion with productivity expert Alberto Cabas Vidani

• A vibrant chat to connect with fellow writers, authors and creators.

Join 6,600+ writers and creators today 🌳🍋

And since we are talking storytelling…

The Lemon Tree Mindset is the book that triggered my reinvention and the framework I used to start a new path.