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Whether you’re a writer, an artist, an entrepreneur, a musician, or any other creative type, I’m betting you’ve fallen into the comparison trap at some point or another.
You know the game, don’t you? The one where you look around and wonder to yourself, Where in the world do I fit into this sea of talent?
—. The perspective that people will come to know you for. BUT, you don’t know where to start.
I remember when I finally decided to start my own personal blog back in 2011, I would read some of my favorite blogs and think, They have such a distinctive writing voice. I wanted that for myself.
The following five tips are the ways that I’ve been able to uncover the unique creative voice inside myself, and I hope they serve as guideposts for you to do the same.
This is probably the most important point and the one from which the rest all stem. Consumption can be a great thing because it gives our creative brains some fantastic stuff to chew on—inspiration to form future connections.
However, if you’re heavy on the consumption end of the spectrum – in other words, if you’re taking in more than you’re putting in – you’re going to clog those creative parts of your brain with other people’s work. If you want to discover your style, the simple answer is this: make more stuff. And certainly, at the very least, make more stuff than you see or read or analyze.
This one is probably an extension of the former point, but more specifically, you have to crack down on the inner comparison glutton in you.
“Limit your temptation to imitate by removing your opportunities to consume.”
Listen, I get it, this seems counterintuitive. If you’re an artist and you like the work of another artist, you’re going to want to follow them on Instagram. If you’re a blogger, you’re going to subscribe to the blogs of other writers you enjoy. BUT, what I’m suggesting is that until you feel you have a handle on what makes you unique, it’s in your best interest to unfollow, unsubscribe and cut the inspiration from your life. Temporarily, I promise. Only until you find security and confidence in your perspective.
When I decided I wanted to start a weekly newsletter with inspiration and action on how to grow in business and in life, do you know what I did? I unsubscribed from every inspiring newsletter that came to my inbox because I had to discover MY voice and I knew that if my email was constantly being flooded with reminders of someone else’s voice, it would prevent me from moving forward.
Consistency is key when you’re trying to cultivate any sort of creative discovery. I truly believe that your voice shows up when you create momentum for it to arrive. What did Picasso say?
“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.”
Yes, a thousand times YES!
Jason and I are big fans of 30-day challenges because we feel 30 days is long enough to see improvement and progress, but short enough to feel that you can accomplish a goal.
I can assure you that if you commit to creating your art for 30 days—whether that’s writing a blog post, making a piece of art, doing a small video, etc.—when you emerge you’ll have a MUCH better idea of what your unique tone and style is. But the key is sticking to it and finding some sort of accountability to keep creating.
Now, consistency is fantastic and I definitely recommend giving yourself a time frame or some sort of parameters to your creative process. However, there’s just one caveat to that strategy that I have to mention.
As much as it’s important to hone your skills and refine your voice as it sits right now, you also have to be aware that your true creative voice might be just on the other side of your current comfort zone.
I think of it like this: Many big Fortune 500 companies have their formula for how they run their business and how they grow year after year. Each year it’s their goal to execute this formula well and keep that growth alive. However, the really good companies have something like an “innovation” budget or department.
The goal of this line item is to keep pushing the envelope, to keep seeing what’s possible. You have to view your creativity the same way. Yes, it’s your intention to cultivate your voice as you know it right now and to keep honing your craft (see #3 above). BUT make sure you leave room for growth and innovation. Make sure you’re experimenting too because that could lead you to something that’s truly original.
Try a new medium, think outside your typical box, explore a completely different style than you’re used to once in a while. This will give your creativity the breath of fresh air it needs to come to life.
Self-doubt is the thief of art and of growth. If you really want to explore your creative muse, you have to convince her that she’s safe. Create an environment in your own mind where no idea is a bad idea. This is easier said than done, sure, but it’s the only way to truly push the boundaries and see what your inner creative voice is telling you. Maybe 90% of the art you make during this exploration phase is crap. And that’s okay. Why? Because that 90% could lead to the 10% that’s pure gold. Write with abandon, make art that doesn’t make sense, do it all FREELY and know that eventually you’ll find the inner voice inside.
There you have it, my five top tips for uncovering your unique creative voice. The underlying theme here, of course, is simply this: get out there and make more stuff.
Create from your heart, from what you feel, and not from what you think other people will like. That’s when you’ll stumble upon what makes you truly original.
To say that the series was inspiring would be a gross understatement. It was beyond magical.
We watched all six episodes in one night (actually, to be totally accurate, we watched five episodes, then Alli, who is an amazing baker, started falling asleep while still having to bake an entire batch of scones from scratch later that night, so they had to dip out and Jason and I couldn’t wait another second so we watched the final episode after they left. Sorry guys!)
Whether you’re a foodie or a lover of filmmaking or have no interest whatsoever in either of those things – it doesn’t matter – do yourself a favor and make a date with this show, y’all, because it’s that good.
The docu-series tells the story of six of the world’s greatest chefs. Each episode focuses on one chef from one particular part of the world, each with his or her distinct motivations, challenges, heartbreaks, moments of failure, sources of joy, and experiences that led them to pursue their craft in a masterful way.
There were so many interesting ah-hah moments that struck me during the show, but the whole thing reminded me of a topic I’ve had on my mind for months now, and that’s this idea of mastery.
The first time this idea came into my consciousness was back in 2010 when I read Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers. In it, Gladwell talks about the 10,000 Hour Rule – the idea that to become a “master” in a field, you must practice roughly for 10,000 hours. He had tons of research and examples to back up this theory, but for whatever reason, this definition of mastery seemed boring to me.
Sure, being a world-class violinist or one of the world’s best whatevers has an allure to it, but it seemed to me that pursuit of mastery JUST for the sake of mastery felt a bit empty to me, and I was never sure why.
Until Chef’s Table.
There I watched story after story of these MASTERS, and I was mesmerized and inspired by their dedication to perfection. Me? Inspired by perfection? You guys know that’s not my jam. We’re all about imperfect progress around these parts, not things like mastery and exquisiteness.
In almost every case, these chefs went to culinary school to learn traditional techniques and had a mentor who they studied under early in their career. Yet each one mentioned something very telling – that after they left to strike out on their own, they found themselves simply trying to copy the same old dishes to perfection, the ones they had learned over and over. And though they were talented, they all found themselves overworked, burnt out, and wondering why their restaurants sat empty.
That is until they dared to venture off the traditional path and find their own voice. To start cooking truly original food. To find an identity among the craft – a vision.
It was a theme throughout all six stories. In order for these chefs to ascend to a higher level of Creative Mastery, the quest for excellence had to be temporarily replaced by the quest for vision.
And, in almost every case, they had to actually unlearn their craft to a degree. Take Massimo Bottura from Modena, Italy, for example, who had to let go of the ideas he had about the traditional meals of the Italian Kitchen that had been around for centuries so that he could push the art of Italian cuisine forward into the future.
He had to become much less concerned with the idea of “excellence” in the eyes of the people to find his vision beyond the boundaries of what was accepted in cuisine at the time. That creative triumph is such a beautiful notion to me. To reject the external in order to find one’s inner creative light.
Now, where am I going with all this? How does this idea of mastery apply to YOUR STORY and what lessons can you take from the lives of these chefs?
“Creative Mastery isn’t just about the pursuit of pure excellence. It’s about pursuing a unique vision with excellence.”
A minor change, yes, but it makes a world of difference.
When we’re kids, Excellence runs the show. We’re taught that achievement should be our goal. That the dream is to become truly great at something.
So we practice and learn and imitate and emulate, all in an effort to master something. In my case, that pursuit of excellence showed up in my studies. I wanted to be the smartest in my class. The most successful. Win the most awards. I wanted to excel.
But, like those chefs, I was just trying to follow a well-worn path that was laid out before me. I had no vision and no identity.
It wasn’t until I was able to reject my own desire for that external validation that I truly found my creative voice. My vision.
I think the first big breakthrough in the life of a creative is when we’re able to put aside our desire for excellence (the external kind of excellence, the kind that comes with conditions set in place by society) in order to forge our own path. To find our unique perspective in the world.
The world remembers people who do things differently.Â
And this can be really scary because there’s a lot of risk in doing something that’s never been done before. When Massimo tried to reimagine some of Modena’s most cherished traditional Italian dishes, there was backlash from the more classically-minded Italians. His restaurant struggled. He wondered if he should give up. But he didn’t. He stayed true to his muse and continued to make dishes that pushed the envelope.
Day after day he worked to once again perfect his craft, but this time it was in pursuit of a mission that was truly original. (SO original, in fact, that his restaurant, Osteria Francescana, was named #3 on the list of the world’s 50 best restaurants. #3 in the world, people!)
Once you’ve found that vision – that identity – that’s when you’re able to adopt that notion of Excellence once again. No longer are you trying to master a craft only for the sake of mastery. Instead, you’re truly executing on your vision to its fullest potential.
So here’s my conclusion: The kind of mastery that I’m down with – Creative Mastery – isn’t just about practice and execution, it’s about having something unique to say.
It is both Excellence AND Vision. I simply can’t get behind mastery for the sake of pure excellence because to me, that’s mastery for the sake of external validation.
And in order to find your creativity, you must first find a way to un-master your craft. To unlearn it the way it was taught to you, so that you can find your unique vision. It is those kind of creatives that move their art form forward.
Have you found your voice yet – your vision? If not, ask yourself if it’s time to unlearn some of that excellence you’ve been taught to strive for. To color outside the lines for a while in order to discover that vision.
And if you have found your unique perspective, ask yourself if it’s time to move back into Excellence mode. To practice your craft so that you might more fully realize your vision.
And then… go watch Chef’s Table. You won’t be disappointed. 🙂
Thanks, as always, for being here and for participating as I try to hone my own Vision. It’s no easy road and I’m not trying to win any “50 best newsletters in the world” titles here, but I am trying to do something that matters.
