We are obsessed with virality, funnels, and growth hacks.
So what happens when a creator chooses not to scale?
This video explores the “creator-monk” - a path inspired by Thomas Merton’s monastic clarity and counterbalanced by the noise-optimization of the digital age. It’s for the builders who prioritize depth over distribution, continuity over content calendars, and sovereignty over scale.
We’ll cover:
- Why some creators are intentionally going subscale
- The economic logic of building for 100 true users, not 100K
- How algorithms and audience expectations have reshaped creative work
- The risk of performative minimalism
- What productivity looks like without visibility
- And why, in the long run, autonomy may matter more than applause
This isn’t a rejection of ambition. It’s a redesign of what a meaningful creative life can look like - slower, quieter, sharper.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re building a brand…or building a body of work - hopefully, this one’s for you.
00:00 The Silent Wisdom of Thomas Merton
00:25 The Birth of the Information Economy
00:49 The Creator Monk: A Middle Path
01:50 The Costs of Scale
03:04 The Value of Depth Over Reach
05:58 The Alternative Theory of Success