🎬 A creator journey I never applied for — featuring two cats, one confused human, and a whole lot of watch time.

I think I may have mentioned that Facebook has officially designated my Sights and Scenes page as a creator. That’s the page tied most closely to my blog, Arounddustyroads. When I first saw the notification, I blinked at it like it was a surprise pop quiz. I wasn’t sure what it meant, but it felt like a promotion. Promotions are good, right?

I’d joined the ranks of those internet icons I like to follow. Sure, I’m the tiniest newcomer in the creator universe, but at least I earned the title. Of course, I wasn’t sure how I earned it… or what it would take to keep it. But I’ve been finding out.

📌 1. Apparently I Qualified by Accident

Facebook seems to have given me the designation because I regularly share my Arounddustyroads posts on the page, and those posts then get shared to my personal page. This creates “activity.”

So after all these years, Facebook decided I’d been around long enough to get the upgrade. Not much of a promotion, really — more like a “fine, you’re still here, take this.”

But the biggest difference? As a creator, I can actually earn money… eventually. I can’t do that from my personal page.

This is where I made my first mistake: I assumed “creator” meant “fun little badge.” It actually means “Congratulations, you now have homework.”

📌 2. The Requirements Are… Hilarious

If I want to qualify to get paid, I have some minimum standards to meet. After I got through laughing, I said what the heck — I might as well work toward it. It won’t be quick and probably not pretty, but it’ll give me something to do.

Here’s an example of the requirements:

For Facebook Reels:

• 5,000 followers
• 60,000 minutes of watch time in the last 60 days
• 5 active videos
• Follow FB’s content guidelines

Maybe in my next life. But let’s see how long it takes to even get close. What’s that saying? A journey begins with the first step. Well, I’ve taken mine… and immediately tripped over it.

📌 3. My “Team” Is Not On Board

My stars, my partners in crime, my teammates — Banner and Balboa — are not the most willing or cooperative coworkers.

I’ve been following them around with my camera for three days. Have they done anything cute? Of course not.

 

Banner has decided to become a philosopher. This morning, he assumed full Thinking Mode on the human toilet — sitting on the closed lid like Rodin’s “The Thinker,” staring into the middle distance as if pondering the mysteries of the universe.

Naturally, this happened the exact moment I stepped out of the shower, dripping wet, no camera anywhere within reach. He knows. He absolutely knows.

Balboa, meanwhile, has taken a vow of invisibility and only appears when the camera is off. I swear he can hear the “record” button.

I guess they don’t want to be the next internet cat sensations. I need those five original videos, and apparently my cats have decided to unionize.

📌 4. The Creator Warning I Should Have Taken Seriously

I remember watching a creator explain how they got involved (wanted public speaking experience) and how it morphed into a full‑time job. I couldn’t tell if they were happy about it or not — the message felt more like a cautionary tale.

Well, I’ve been a “creator” for a week, and I can tell you:

Yes. It’s a full‑time job.

There’s planning, filming, editing, posting, tracking, adjusting, and then repeating it all again because Facebook says you need “consistent engagement.” I’ve had jobs with fewer steps.

📌 5. Here’s the Bottom Line

So here I am — promoted without asking, assigned a job without training, chasing cats who refuse to perform, and trying to rack up 60,000 minutes of watch time like I’m running a tiny, chaotic television network out of my living room.

Will I ever qualify for monetization? Who knows.

But I’ve decided something important:

If Facebook wants me to be a creator… then I’m going to be the most stubborn, persistent, dripping‑wet‑post‑shower cat‑wrangling creator they’ve ever seen.

And if Banner wants to sit on the toilet and contemplate the meaning of life instead of helping, that’s fine. I’ll film him next time. Even if I have to sprint through the house in a towel like a deranged wildlife photographer.

Because one way or another, this creator is getting her five videos.