For so long there have been unwritten laws in most forms of content. More or less, a predetermined way that things should be.
In movies we expect there to be a certain flow, an order of the the characters, the plot, the climax and resolution to appear.
In music we have chorus, verse, bridge, chorus, verse (or whatever ‘it’ is)
And even in writing there is a certain way serious authors present their work.
Although I understand and agree to knowing the fundamentals behind why this is. I don’t believe it’s the best solution in every case.
Case and point – In learning that I would create a blog about every step I’ve experienced as an affiliate marketer I knew that I would encounter space for me to allow my personality, creativity, and ultimately differentiating factor shine through.
“The world doesn’t need more average products for average people.” – paraphrasing Seth Godin
Finding ways to bridge the gap can be tricky though. We do this in order to do well. If you create from an undertone of laziness, the world will know it, and your gimmick will be your creativity and your creativity your gimmick. This is no man’s land and to be avoided at all costs.
Take it Personal
I’ve taken it personally to put all my interests into the form of writing only so I can create from an ever full reservoir. The only way for me to create is from peeling back the layers and saying “What am I today, and how did I get here?” I’m super interested in finding those who are like me, not those that like me as I appear. It’s really an interesting lens for me to look at social media and the like. I’ve never been a popular person, but I have been influential and authentic for as long as I can remember. I’d even go as far as saying that being personal in most of my good relationships has allowed me to have a talent for sharing things others won’t or don’t think to reveal.
2 Routes to Consider
I grew to respect the idea and action of hard work. I made the mistake of falling in love with it to the point I believed in it as a solution rather than a tool to be used at the right time not all the time. For context, the same can be said for the seminar junkie types. Purchasing expensive tickets and gleaning insights only to be tucked away and never explored. Hard work is intoxicating, the hustle philosophy is almost sickening amongst the tech bro circles. It’s not going anywhere, people will probably always give advice and assume incorrectly that “hustle” is the way forward.
It took me years to undo. It took me sacrifices of a better life and more enjoyable existence. I was so disillusioned by the process that I think my pain and sabotage were a point of pride at some point. This is pretty jacked up, pretty incorrect, and worth me mentioning as I offer some sort of guidance for those that identify. Strategy is overlooked and seldom understood. If you study anything, understand thoroughly why certain strategies work. Undertstand the difference between strategy and tactic.