A reminder to be different.
Do you feel like you're not connecting with your creative work?
I've been thinking about this a lot recently as I've been rebuilding my portfolio and marketing myself to new clients. It's hard to stand out today, there is SO MUCH CONTENT. It's easy to slip into following trends - you see something thats working for someone and think "I should do that."
The problem with that is you end up with replicated work that isn't really YOU.
What makes you stand out is making something that's uniquely you.
Your upbringing, your culture, your cadence, your schedule - it all plays into what makes you, uniquely you. But we're also social and want to conform. We want to be accepted.It's a push and pull between living differently and living "normally."
Having unique life experiences and stories is a huge part of the value you bring as a creative. If you go to the same places as everyone on Tik-Tok, pull from the same influences on Pinterest, watch the same tutorials on YouTube, listen to the same playlists on Spotify.
You end up...the same.
But you know what the difficult part is?
To be different, you have to BE different.
It's hard to say "No" to things. It's hard to take things in a different direction. Most of all, it's hard to go into the unknown. People will be bothered that your doing something differently then everyone else. It might annoy people when you start posting different work. The stable, well-worn path might be safe, but you risk missing unique opportunities.
Get comfortable with being different, actively challenge your perspectives, and double down on being YOU.
That's my rant for today.
Leave a comment