For a long time, I thought I was building a platform.

Honestly, that’s what a lot of creators think they’re supposed to do.

Build your brand.

Build your following.

Build your audience.

Build your platform.

But after hosting Curators of the Spine, I realized something:

I’m not a platform builder.

I’m an ecosystem builder.

And I think more creators need to start thinking this way.

Because platforms depend on attention.

Ecosystems create connection.

Those are two completely different things.

Curators of the Spine started as an idea.

That’s it.

Just an idea.

An idea that honestly felt way bigger in my head than it probably looked online at first.

There were moments I was tired.

Moments I was frustrated.

Moments I thought nobody was paying attention.

I would post about the event and feel like nothing was happening.

Low engagement.

Low interaction.

Quiet responses.

From the outside, it looked like nobody cared.

But looks are deceiving.

Because people WERE listening.

Quietly.

And then they showed up.

They showed up for the authors.

They showed up for the spoken word artists.

They showed up for the vendors.

They showed up for the community.

And what I realized standing in that room is this:

People are hungry for real spaces.

Not just content.

Not just algorithms.

Not just endless scrolling.

Real spaces.

Real conversations.

Real connection.

Real community.

That event taught me something important about myself.

I have the ability to create spaces.

I have the ability to connect people.

I have the ability to build ecosystems.

And honestly? So do a lot of other creators.

But many creators are sitting around waiting for somebody else to create the opportunity first.

Waiting for:

an invitation

a big break

permission

validation

somebody to “discover” them

somebody to create the room

Meanwhile, sometimes the answer is:

Build the room yourself.

Because if you allow other people to define what your creative journey looks like, they absolutely will.

They will decide:

who gets visibility

who gets invited

who gets opportunities

who gets access

who gets supported

At some point, creators have to stop waiting to be picked and start building things for themselves and for others.

That does not mean you need to host a giant festival tomorrow.

This is not about perfection.

This is not about having a huge budget.

This is not about becoming an event planner overnight.

This is about starting where you are.

What Building an Ecosystem Actually Looks Like

A lot of people hear “ecosystem” and think it has to be massive.

It doesn’t.

Building an ecosystem could look like:

hosting a small local author meetup

organizing a coffee shop book discussion

partnering with a local bookstore

creating a Facebook group for readers

interviewing indie authors on Instagram Live

collaborating with another creator

creating a monthly reader meetup

bringing vendors and authors together

creating online spaces people actually want to return to

The point is not size.

The point is connection.

That’s the part creators often miss.

You do not need thousands of people to create impact.

Sometimes you just need:

consistency

vision

community

willingness to start

Why This Matters So Much Right Now

I honestly think people are exhausted by transactional spaces online.

Everything feels like:

“buy this”

“follow this”

“watch this”

“support this”

But community feels different.

Community creates return.

People come back to spaces where they feel seen, welcomed, included, or connected.

That’s why ecosystems matter more than platforms.

A platform says:

“Look at me.”

An ecosystem says:

“Come sit at the table.”

And in my opinion, creators who learn how to build spaces instead of just audiences are going to last much longer.

What Creators Can Do Right Now

If you want to start building your own ecosystem, start simple.

1. Stop Waiting for Perfect Conditions

A lot of creators delay ideas because they think they need:

more money

more followers

more support

more experience

You probably know more people than you think you do.

And people are often more willing to participate than creators realize.

2. Start Small

Your first event does not need to be huge.

It could literally be:

five authors at a coffee shop

a virtual reading night

a bookstore meetup

a small vendor collaboration

a reader discussion group

Small does not mean unimportant.

3. Bring Other People With You

One of the biggest lessons I learned is that people WANT opportunities to connect.

Invite:

other authors

local vendors

spoken word artists

readers

podcasters

bookstores

Build WITH people, not just around yourself.

4. Create the Space You Wish Existed

This one matters.

A lot of the best ideas come from frustration.

Sometimes creators spend years wishing certain spaces existed while never realizing they could help create those spaces themselves.

That’s exactly what happened with Curators of the Spine.

Final Thoughts

Curators of the Spine taught me something I don’t think I fully understood before:

People may not always respond loudly online.

But that does not mean they are not listening.

And sometimes the very thing you think nobody notices becomes the thing that brings people together later.

So no, I’m not trying to just build a platform anymore.

I’m building ecosystems.

Spaces.

Community.

Connection.

Opportunity.

And honestly?

I think more creators should too.

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