Life of an influencer

IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO BE, YOU NEED TO CREATE.

Karina Milanesi

As the saying goes:

“In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king!”

And in the land of the internet? What makes you stand out among so many rowing toward the same wave?

If we look at those who inspire us, whether in music, art, communication or life, they always carry something in common that places them in a position of inspiration, or rather, influence. We cannot deny that they are authentic, visionary, and carry something that allows them to fulfill a specific purpose that each individual carries within themselves: creativity!

After years—specifically 10 years—living and surviving as an influencer, YouTuber, the Instagram girl or even the “little blogger” (without even having a blog), it is with great pleasure that I announce that whoever does not dare to be what they truly are can never experience the nobility of connecting and influencing so many who are amazing, but for the most part simply did not allow themselves to be.

The “more of the same” has become routine, and few dare to say what they think and exercise what they envision. We live in an era where people fear rejection more than death!

Fear is nothing more than the anticipation of something bad that has not yet happened. And, even though it resides in the future, it still paralyzes us in the present to the point of placing us in a space where replicating what already works becomes a safe environment.

A beleza da internet? É poder dividir e inspirar. A tristeza dela? É poder fingir e se anular.

So we can say that the “eye in the land of the blind” is creativity amid so many replicas. Your purpose is entirely tied to your experiences and, consequently, your story.

Someone who has stories to tell has the authority to share their experiences, and once they do, they create two bridges with those who are listening: identification and projection. Influence is just a consequence, while creativity is the key that starts the engine.

That is why I always say that talking about creativity is a one-way street.

And are we ready for that conversation?

LM: Many content creators work hard to be as successful as you. What do you think they get wrong when it comes to the digital market and social media?

KM: Making mistakes is part of the process. It’s hard to generalize a specific factor that keeps them from taking off in the market, but as a keen observer of the digital sphere, I’ve been seeing more and more people looking around to create and, most of the time, producing something that isn’t their truth. Looking outward makes us dream, but when we look inward, we wake up!

Inside us there are unique stories and experiences. The problem is that we don’t value what we already are; we believe we always need something we don’t yet possess to get where we want. Authenticity is completely linked to purpose; I believe many create without any purpose. Without purpose, we have no stories; without stories, we generate no impact; without impact, we’re just another one among many.

LM: What would you say was the turning point of your career?

It was definitely when I filmed my appearances on Eliana’s show on SBT. I saw that at the time they featured people who taught something to the public, like everyday fashion, beauty and lifestyle tips, and back then my content was entirely focused on Do it Yourself. I searched online for the name of the show’s director, found him on Instagram, and started liking all his photos, especially family ones. A week later I received an email from the production saying they wanted to bring me to the show because the director saw my content and loved it!

Each time I went on the show I gained on average 30,000 followers. Being visible is essential when we are ready to show something relevant; otherwise it can only backfire.

LM: Is there something about you and your work that you would love people to know but they don’t?

There is something recent that happened in my work that I would really like many people to know about, because I know many would identify with it.

After two nearly consecutive maternities, I went through an intense creative block, not only because I lacked good ideas, but because I didn’t have quality time to access my creative source. I often felt overwhelmed, frustrated, guilty, and most of the time unable to produce. I think it’s good for people to know a bit of the real life that happens behind the phone screen, so that the illusory comparison is somehow dissipated from our minds and transformed only into identification and inspiration!

LM: Because of your work, you are a heavy user of social media, which has been linked to anxiety and even depression—how do you manage to be constantly online and still remain balanced, healthy and happy?

That is exactly what we are talking about. Being constantly balanced, healthy and happy is almost an illusory project. Sometimes we are more balanced, soul and spirit working together, but eating whatever we want; after all, we can be “fit” or happy. I swear the two adjectives can go hand in hand, but that is not the constant rule of real life. I chose to demand less from myself, work out when I can, eat better when I’m able, and organize my time to create so that I can decompress somehow and thus be a more balanced and happy person for myself and my family.

The internet has created a little monster of “I need to be, show and be”—when many, in fact, are becoming terrible actors instead of good influencers.

Showing the good moments in life is the best part and I’m in favor of it, but creating happy moments to generate a false impression, I think is one of the biggest problems we’re feeding in this generation.

LM: Part of being known is being judged by people who know nothing about you. How do you deal with that?

KM: Last year I was nearly “canceled” by a piece of fake news that circulated on my 14th day post-COVID, when, directed by my doctor, I went out inside my condominium to get some sun at noon in the street and unwind a bit—after all, after 10 days I could go to a crowded supermarket, according to Anvisa. I even recorded stories to show I was coming back, a bit debilitated, but needed to return to my “work.”

Thirty minutes later my name was on gossip profiles and renowned sites, which shocked me even more—it said that the “blogger” Karina Milanesi and her husband were spreading COVID around. I faced one of the worst days because I didn’t even have room to prove that I wasn’t being negligent to that extent; immediately people who didn’t know me were wishing terrible things upon me, like death for me and my family.

But at the same time I saw that the people who followed and supported me regularly were outraged by this attempt at “cancel culture,” because they followed me and knew exactly what was really happening. It made me think about what really matters! Being genuine brings you closer to genuine people too, and even though the internet doesn’t provide a human filter, what you emit is what you receive back.

I could indeed have been wrong in that situation, but that wasn’t the case; understanding that this is your work environment and that yes, you are responsible for the way you act—especially because you influence people—in a certain way you realize that, like in any job, responsibility and professionalism are necessary. Regardless of your field, there will always be people who lift you up or try to tear you down, who extend a hand or kick you down, but when there is purpose, there is learning, evolution and above all more encouragement not to give up. All fields have positive and negative points; constant judgment is certainly a negative in the digital universe, but it is not a reason to paralyze us—or at least it shouldn’t be, right?

LM: What is the difference between your current content and that of 10 years ago?

KM: Everything. If you look back at your first content and don’t think, “wow, how I’ve evolved!” something is wrong. Evolution needs to happen and especially in the digital realm, it’s extremely welcome. In my personal case, I see technological evolution, maturation of taste and style, and diversity of production.