Hey! Welcome to the Creator Economy NYC newsletter, your weekly dose of insights and strategies to help you build, monetize, and scale as a creator.

Still riding the high from our kickoff event last week. The energy in the room was exactly what we needed to start the year. I've got a ton of takeaways from the night that I'll be breaking out over the next few weeks.

But this one couldn't wait.

Domunique, our Creative Director here at CENYC, and I were having a conversation last week that really got us thinking.

We're all creating content right now. But are we actually making people feel something?

That's the shift we need to pay attention to in 2026.

Let's get into it.

— Brett

Feeling creation > content creation

We're all fatigued right now. Content everywhere. Over-stimulated. Drowning in information. And you probably find yourself barely being able to finish a short-form video anymore.

I had a conversation with our Creative Director, Domunique, about this, and here's what it came down to:

We're exhausted by repetitive content formats. We're overloaded with information. The scroll is too strong… and only emotional hooks can break it.

But when we really dug into why - it came down to one thing that Domunique emphasized: lack of feeling.

That's the shift happening in 2026: from content creation to feeling creation.

Why this matters now

This is something Domunique and I kept coming back to: we're not always in the mood to learn something on the feed. Sometimes we want to be entertained. Sure, we’ll bookmark things. Probably never come back to it later.

But we're always ready to feel something.

That's universal. That's what stops the scroll. And if you look at the creators breaking through right now, they're all doing the same thing, which is leading with emotion before they lead with information. Here are some examples we discussed:

Two guys touring every country's restaurant in NYC. Their hook? "Me and my friend had this idea..." You're immediately in friendship mode. In reflection. You're on a journey with them. It's not just a vlog, it's a vlog for a feeling.

TikTokOlderBrother opens with "Hey, if you just got married, and you’re thinking about going light on the honeymoon..." and you immediately think "that's me." He speaks rawly, like you're on FaceTime. You feel seen before he teaches you anything.

Timm Chiusano doesn't post "A day in the life of a 45-year-old sales exec." He posts "This is a dope ass Sunday in your 40s." One's a description. The other's an experience.

And then there's the creator blowing up with "Day in the life of a regular person living in New York on 50K a year." That word regular hits because you identify with it. You're not a tech bro. You're just... regular. And that feels real.

Feeling creation isn't about what you're showing people, of course, it's about how you're making them feel about it!

So what does "leading with feeling" actually look like?

The creators breaking through right now are all hitting the same emotional triggers. We’re gonna call it the CRAFT framework - five ways to make people feel something before you make them think.

C - Curiosity. Open a loop your audience has to close. "My friend and I had this idea..." pulls you in because your brain needs to know where this goes. You can't scroll past an open question.

R - Relatability. Make someone think "that's literally me." That's what the "regular person on 50K" creator is doing. Not a niche. Not a demographic. Just... me. When people see themselves in your content, they stop.

A - Awe. Make someone feel something bigger than themselves. Share not just what you saw, but what it made you think about. The moment something genuinely surprises or moves you - that's awe. And people can't look away from it.

F - Frustration/Pain. Touch a real struggle. TikTok Uncle's relationship advice lands because he's naming something people actually feel but rarely talk about. When you speak to someone's pain honestly, they feel seen.

T - Trust through Identity. Speak to who someone already is. Timm's "dope ass Friday in your 40s" isn't describing a person. It's being that person. When your content matches someone's identity (or aspiration!), they connect.

You don't need to hit all five every time. Pick the one that fits your voice. The point is to be intentional about the feeling you're creating, not just the information you're sharing.

How to stand out in 2026

The world feels heavy right now. People don't want more information. They want connection. They want to feel something real.

Our hot take is that despite there being more content out there than ever before, it's actually easier than ever to stand out.

You just have to think slightly differently.

The small shifts matter more than you think.

Those small additions like the descriptors, the emotional hooks, etc that's the art of storytelling.

Before you post, ask yourself one question:

What am I making someone feel in the first three seconds?

This is your personal monopoly in action, actually, the intersection of what you know and how you specifically synthesize it.

Next event coming soon

We’re gearing up for our next community event.

​We’re currently shaping the format, programming, and partnerships - but if you’ve been to a CENYC event before, you know what to expect:

​Smart conversations, thoughtful people, and rooms that actually feel worth being in.

This early RSVP is an application to attend. It helps us curate the room while details come together, and those who apply will be the first to receive updates as things are finalized.

If you’re a creator who wants to level up in the new year, start here

F*ck It, Create It is the resource I wish existed before I started Creator Economy NYC.

It’s not about growth hacks, content calendars, or chasing algorithms.
It’s about removing the mental friction that keeps creators frozen:
overthinking, perfectionism, and the constant “I’ll start when I’m ready.”

This is short, actionable, and built specifically for creators who’ve been sitting on an idea for way too long.

Two free tools top creators use to keep themselves moving

The Creator Goal Setting Guide (FREE): A simple but powerful document to help you declare who you want to BECOME in 2026.

The Creator Accountability System (FREE): Your visual companion for consistent creation in 2026.

Thanks for reading! Now go make someone feel something.

F*ck it, create it,

Brett