Who are you?

It’s the hardest question of all and the most important, especially for creative types.

We want the things we create to be noticed, to be of use to someone. For that to happen, our creations have to be original. And for content to be original, it has to be authentic.

There are only two places from which you can derive ideas for your creations. They either come from outside of you or inside of you. Outside sources of inspiration are – by definition – originally created by someone or something else. Inside content comes from within you, from your own uniqueness. Unless you can find those internal sources, your content will always be a copy of something else.

And no one needs any more derivative content.

Authentic content must come from inside.

What’s New?

“There is nothing new under the sun.”

This statement has been around a long time, and has an element of truth to it. (And it’s probably inspired by somebody else’s words). But it’s only true if we are looking at major categories of things. Yes, there are only 12 tones in western music. No one is “inventing new notes” (microtonality aside), but that doesn’t stop creative musicians from writing new and interesting songs.

There are only 94 naturally occurring elements in the periodic table, but that doesn’t matter when you’re creating with matter. Exciting new and useful physical things are created every minute. How many types of wooden chairs exist? Wood may not be new but creative woodworkers are far from bereft of ideas.

Cars still have tires that connect them to the ground, but a Tesla Plaid is much different from a Model A Ford.

You get the idea. There may be a fixed number of categories of things with which we can create, but the number of creations that come therefrom is limited only by imagination.

And that’s the key: your creations have to come from your imagination.

Uniqueness

Here’s an example from my own life.

One of the ways I create is through music. I have been playing and teaching guitar since…well, since before there were You Tube tutorials. I started the same way most start, by copying the sounds that inspired me. I learned other people’s songs and played in cover bands. Hungry for more, I completed a classical university music education.

Somewhere along the way, I discovered that the biggest reward, the greatest satisfaction, came from inside. Learning all those other ideas about music gave me a “vocabulary” of phrases and techniques. And from there I began to write my own compositions. At some point, I shifted entirely to writing, recording (which is also an art) and performing my own material.

The music I created became a recognizable reflection of who I am.

When I write, the process starts with silence. Sometimes I compose with a guitar or piano. Sometimes I purposely write without an instrument present, to avoid the “muscle memory” clichés that come from tens of thousands of hours of practice.

As I clear my mind with the intent to create, a line of lyrics or a musical phrase will start to form. Sometimes it is just an emotional feeling. Once that first piece of content comes, the rest is simply development of the theme and refinement.

Out of the Blue

So from where did that first fragment appear? That’s the muse. The mysterious gift of creation that comes to those who prove their worthiness through intent and dedication. Is this creation completely ex nihilo? Of course not. Those 12 notes were in common usage long before I started to experiment with them.

And there are only 26 letters of the English alphabet (27 if you count the ampersand), but that didn’t stop Cormac McCarthy from writing The Road.

The Process

There are only two steps to the creation of authentic content:

First, gain some degree of mastery of the technical skills required to create in your medium. Get good at playing piano, or writing or videography or public speaking; the skills you need to bring your ideas to life.

This first step its simple but not easy: it takes thousands of hours of practice to develop the “chops” required to create your own stuff.

But the second step is much more difficult. Once you have enough fluency in your chosen medium to keep technical execution from getting in the way of personal expression, you can begin to create.

In my experience, there are two pieces to this second step as well.

• Silence outside distractions as much as possible, and hold the intent to create something.
• Clear your mind and wait patiently for ideas to form.

There are, of course, many ways to “hold the intent,” but that is a course in and of itself.

The explanation of the process is simple. Learn your craft, then be still and wait for inspiration.

The execution of these “simple” steps will consume your life time, if you are incredibly fortunate.

Here’s the magic, alluded to earlier: Unless you have an authentic voice with which to speak, you can only repeat others’ thoughts. You have to know yourself before you can create from an authentic space.

Who are you?

What About You?

I help other creators master the art of creation – beginning with self-discovery – and then move to a place of complete authenticity.

The chain of events goes like this:

Authenticity, because it comes from your unique personality, leads to original content. No one else is you, so no one else can create like you.

Original content will standout from the “cookie-cutter” derivative drivel with which we are constantly bombarded.

When your content stands out from the background noise, your audience will notice and appreciate it.

As people appreciate your content, they will consume it.

But you have to start with you.

Who Are You?

I spent years in development of a complete system of discovery around this question. The answer is as nuanced and complex as each individual, but is necessary to create from a place of authenticity.

Here are some questions you can use to start on your own journey:

What gets you excited – like “little kid” excited – before you were worried about what was cool and what pays the most? What still energizes you and gives you “butterflies” when you think about it? This is not the time to “yeah but” your imagination: Consider the possibilities as though you had no limitations.

Consider the question in two parts: What external things do you most like to bring in from the world (your input)?

What

• Movies
• Reads
• Music
• Art
• Decor
• Friends
• Interests
• Hobbies
• Games

do you enjoy, without consideration of any other influences? What would you enjoy for you if you knew no one else was looking?

And then, what internal things do you manifest to the world (your output)?

For instance, what

• Style
• Clothes
• Tattoos
• Piercings
• Hair
• Make up
• Jewelry
• Speech
• Transportation
• Career

would you like to display to the world, without consideration of anyone else’s opinions?

How you “show up” in your life? How do you ideally want to be perceived by others? Is your ideal self friendly and approachable? Mystical and mysterious? Strong and stable? Open and vulnerable?

Cities or farms?

Beaches or mountains?

Get To Work

There are so many factors to consider in your answer: your personality, your psychological stance in the world (which is – among many other things – partly a factor of your upbringing), your community (friends and family), your current circumstances, your spiritual connection and understanding, your goals and desires, and influences – both known and unknown to you – that motivate your decisions.

Once you start to see some of those factors, the work of transformation begins. How do you get from who and where you are to who and where you want to be?

These are some fundamental considerations to get you started. Best of luck to you on this most important and life defining/changing journey.

If you are an active creator who has some degree of mastery of your chosen medium and would like my help, contact me and we may be able to work together.

As always, I welcome your thoughts. You can reach me through the comments section on my Substack or Medium accounts or the blog section on my website. If this article as of value to you, please follow my Instagram and Twitter accounts. And be sure to subscribe to my River Of Creation podcast – The Podcast for Creators! – coming later this year.

Be well; do good!

• JWW