Escaping the Dopamine Trap - A Storyteller’s Guide to Creative Sanity

How to stop chasing likes and rediscover joy in the process

Hello from David Bailey Creative, where I take you on a slower, more intentional path through the world of podcasting, storytelling, and creativity.

In this post, I want to talk about something many creators quietly wrestle with. The Dopamine Trap.

You know the feeling…

You publish something.

A podcast, a video, a blog post, and within minutes, you’re refreshing your app.

How many listens?

How many likes?

Any comments yet?

We’ve all been there.

Why Dopamine is a Double-Edged Sword

Dopamine is the brain’s reward chemical.

It makes us feel good when we’re acknowledged, validated, or “seen.”

And social media? It’s built on it.

Every platform is designed to hook you, the creator, as much as the audience.

But here’s the danger: when our creativity starts to rely on these quick dopamine hits, we risk burning out.

We stop creating because something matters to us, and start creating just to get noticed.

It’s exhausting.

And it’s unsustainable.

What I’m Doing Differently

Over the past few months, I’ve been trying to reset my own creative rhythm.

Here’s what’s helping:

• Focusing on the process, not the performance.

  I remind myself that making something, simply creating, is a win in itself.

• Limiting dopamine windows.

  I only check stats a few times a week. Not daily. Not obsessively.

• Getting human feedback first.

  I share drafts with one or two trusted people before publishing. That connection means more than 500 anonymous likes.

• Celebrating small wins.

  I jot down real creative victories, like a well-written paragraph or a clean audio edit, in a notebook.

These changes aren’t magic fixes. But they’ve helped me reconnect with why I started telling stories in the first place.

What About You?

If you’re a storyteller, a podcaster, or a creative of any sort, I’d love to know:

How do you manage the dopamine loop?

Have you felt the pressure to chase stats or reactions?

What keeps you grounded?

You can leave a comment below or just reply to this email. I read every message.

And if you think someone else might benefit from this, a fellow creative feeling overwhelmed or discouraged, feel free to share this with them.

If you want a bit of guidance or inspiration, I offer simple, one-to-one training to help you use audio creatively and confidently.

Drop me a message if you'd like to know more.