Authenticity for the Win
As a creative, one thing I stand for is authenticity. I don’t think we do anyone any favors by showing up as someone we aren’t in real life or even on the internet. Authentic is defined as “of undisputed origin; genuine.” To put it in my own words, to be authentic is to show up in our truest form. It’s the ability to show up as ourselves rather than pretending to be someone else. It’s staying true to our own voice and perspective in a world where many of us find interest in the same things. To be authentic is to be real, often times vulnerable, and the ability never be swayed by the popular thing. Here are some rules I live by to always ensure that I show up my true authentic self…
Step away when things get too noisy. When we can’t hear ourselves think or don’t have clarity on the what or the how, it’s okay to step back, regroup, and come back with clear vision.
Never copy and paste. Never duplicate someone else’s work. When God calls us to do something, He will always give us what we need, and that includes original ideas. I’m all for pulling inspiration from different sources but never should we look to mirror the exact same thing someone else is doing.
Don’t be afraid to do the unpopular thing. We have the power to set ourselves a part when we break away from what’s trending and stay true to our authentic selves. In order to do this, we have to trust our own creativity and know who we are creating for.
Be vulnerable. The truth of the matter is, we are not for everyone (and vice versa). I’d rather people unfollow or unfriend because they do not resonate with who I am than for people to fall in “like” with someone I’m not. Whether it be on the world wide web or in real life, we must understand that everyone will not take to us, and that is totally okay.
Stay in your lane. This goes back to having a clear vision but let’s go deeper. Let’s always make sure to move within our purpose and God given talents instead of moving in lanes that seem cool or the popular thing to do. We’ve all been called to do something. If you’re not sure what that is, I encourage you to ask God to reveal it you. My pastor put it something like this, “We can’t ask God to bless a vision He didn’t give us.”
K R Y S T L E
