"More reach" seems a valid enough goal/desire in and of itself (even if you deride it as a shallow form of communication, shallow attention is what provides the opportunity for deeper connections); this sets the goal-activity of creative pursuits apart from "lounging alone at the beach" (which is itself a flawed representation of retirement, but that's another story).
The reason OP gave for trying to achieve more reach was this:
> it's been pointed out to me in harsh ways I could be easily growing if I tried a little harder, so I've invested more resources into the channel, equipment, actually trying growth, etc.
…which made me think of the tourist in the story.
Is it really more reach that they desire, transforming their content into whatever sates the algorithm, chasing metrics, investing time and money? Or is their current level of reach perhaps already enough as it is, a work of love and dedication, without someone—something—else deciding what’s best?
