Jon Denton shares his 20-year journey from games journalist to 500K-subscriber YouTuber, revealing the hidden mental health crisis plaguing creators. We discuss burnout, isolation, surviving online hate mobs, audience capture, and why he's launching a mastermind to help other creators navigate the psychological toll of putting themselves online.

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ABOUT JON DENTON:

Jon Denton is a "Level 99 Unc," grown his YouTube channel to over 500k. He spends half his time "reacting to stuff," and the other half helping people break through their limits.

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CONNECT WITH JON DENTON:

Jon's Newsletter: https://jondenton.substack.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jondenton22/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JonDenton

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SUBSCRIBE TO THE CREATOR ALCHEMY NEWSLETTER:

Subscribe to the Creator Alchemy Newsletter for exclusive content and unlock the Psychology of Success Masterclass for free.

Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/

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JOIN THE COMMUNITY:

The Creator Alchemy Lab is a community for ambitious creators taking bold action to transform their businesses, their lives, and themselves.

Go to https://www.creatoralchemy.com/lab now to join.

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TOPICS DISCUSSED:

• Why success amplifies past wounds - Why external achievements often make old wounds louder instead of healing them.
• The creator isolation paradox - Performing connection for thousands while experiencing deep disconnection and loneliness.
• When your audience becomes your prison - How creators become trapped by audience expectations and lose the ability to evolve.
• The psychology behind online hate - Understanding that criticism of your work often reflects the attacker's identity issues, not your content.
• The RAIN protocol for emotional regulation - Practical frameworks for creating space between triggers and responses.
• Mental health as a strategic advantage - Why emotional regulation is foundational to sustainable creator success, not separate from it.
• Creating the stimulus-response gap - How to notice faster and recover quicker from criticism and setbacks.
• Why you can't think away emotional wounds - Why positive thinking alone doesn't work and what actually helps with creator burnout.
• Creator communities as survival tool - How connection with other creators becomes essential for survival, not just networking.

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TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Intro

01:35 From Journalist to YouTuber

5:45 The Psychology Behind Reaction Videos

13:52 The Craft of Being an Entertainer

22:50 What Makes Great Music

31:06 Meeting The Weeknd - The Power of Putting Yourself Out There

38:50 The Fear of Ridicule and Tall Poppy Syndrome

48:50 The Uncertainty of Being a Creator

54:34 Burnout and Chronic Fatigue

01:01:35 The Inner Journey of Mental Health

01:18:14 The Stimulus-Response Gap and Emotional Regulation

01:24:35 Handling Online Hate

01:41:04 Scarcity vs. Abundance Mindsets in the Creator Economy

01:48:45 Creator Isolation and the Need for Community

02:07:40 Final Thoughts

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SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: https://coreywilkspsyd.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@coreywilkspsyd

Substack: https://substack.com/@coreywilkspsyd

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coreywilkspsyd/

Twitter: https://x.com/CoreyWilksPsyD

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coreywilkspsyd/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/coreywilkspsyd.bsky.social

Disclaimers: The content provided is for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only. Nothing here constitutes personal or professional consultation, treatment, diagnosis, or creates a professional-client relationship.