How to Be More Authentic As A Creative (11 things I do)
No one else can be you quite like you. You have innate creativity that cannot be copied. But the trick is knowing how to find it, how to keep it and how to use it.
Learning how to be more authentic is the simplest most difficult thing you can do.
So welcome to my guide. This is how I like to make my content, music, branding and various creative projects more “me”.
But actually, these ideas make my whole life feel more authentic.
Still, this post is especially perfect for:
Content creators and social media influencers
Artists
Musicians
Creatives
Bloggers and writers
Creative entrepreneurs
Anyone wanting to grow a personal brand
If you’re creative in any way (or you’re keen to use more creativity in your pursuit of authenticity), then this post is for you.
So let’s get to it!
Table of Contents Show
What Does Authenticity Mean for Creatives?
Creative authenticity is pursuing creative work that’s aligned with your values, beliefs and “trueness”, even though there may be outside social pressure to create differently.
And it’s tricky business.
So why do we struggle so much to be authentic?
Algorithms, trends and metrics all tell us to be a certain way, create in certain styles and follow certain formulas, otherwise success is futile.
Even though we all know that’s BS, it’s still a trap we fall into. But it just takes a little awareness, intention and patience.
(so hopefully this post helps)
Benefits of Being Authentic
It’s personally fulfilling
You’ll create more authentic content, naturally
You stand out more when you’re you
Things are easier when you’re closer to your truest self
It’s more fun to be authentically, unapologetically yourself
Be more innovative
Create a stronger, real emotional connection with your audience
Build a stronger brand
Inspire others to be more authentic
Examples of Creative Authenticity
Having a unique and personal fashion style
Blending creative mediums together (such as art and film)
Infusing your personal story into your creative projects and vision
Having an original artistic or musical style
Personal, free-flowing and individualized dance
Going against a trend or artistic best practices
How to Be More Creatively Authentic (11 tips)
Ready to be more authentic? Epic.
Here are my favorite ways I like to be more creatively genuine.
1. Define Your Creative Identity
Being self aware is a key characteristic of authentic people. So defining your current state is a great place to start.
After all, if you want to get to point B (authenticity), it helps to know your point A.
Your creative identity is who you are as a creative person. This means defining things beyond your craft, such as:
Your core values
You beliefs
You points of differentiation
Your interests
Your personality traits, experiences and personal story
Your habits
You can learn more about creating an artist persona here.
2. Choose the Right Platform + Medium
Not everyone is built for video, or text, or voice, or whatever artistic medium you choose.
One of the easiest ways to reach authenticity is to simply choose the right medium and platform.
For example, if you’re easily able to be yourself while talking to a camera, then YouTube is a solid fit. But if expressing yourself through words is your superpower, then blogging or X is where you should be.
Of course, you can always learn any new skill, but when you’re just starting out and trying to create more authentically, start with what comes the most natural.
Once you establish your brand and identity, you can skill-build and expand from there.
So, where are you able to be your most authentic self?
3. Be A Copycat Failure
Copycatting gets a bad rap. Because it can actually be a great way to find and explore your inner creativity and authenticity.
Here’s how.
Start by choosing a creator or artist to copy (ideally, someone who represents your goal persona).
Then, copy something they’ve done (and try to copy it to a T).
Finally, compare your version vs. theirs and take note of what’s different. How and where did you “fail” at copycatting?
These points of “failure” often highlight what makes you different. So lean into those things more to develop your authenticity.
4. Create for You (not for metrics, rules or algorithms)
In marketing, it’s important to create content and campaigns with the audience in mind.
In art, this isn’t the case.
But as marketing continues to value creativity more, and as artists are expected to be more like marketers, confusion starts to set in – it’s a dichotomy of cognitive dissonance.
So here’s a friendly reminder to create for you.
And this goes beyond the audience. Templates, best practices and formulas are great for learning and skill building. But as Picasso said:
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
Creating for personal joy and fulfillment will make your projects more authentic, naturally. This is artistic authenticity and it translates to more unique quality, which ends up benefiting your audience anyways.
So have fun and don’t stress about following every rule or marking off every box in the content checklist.
Explore like you don’t care.
5. Hang Around the Right People
I’m as good as the company I keep.
Having good company means surrounding yourself with people who make you feel totally comfortable with being your truest self.
We want our inner circle to motivate us. They should elevate and celebrate your quirks, weirdness and authentic traits.
So if the people in your life make you feel guilty for expressing who you truly are, it may be time to find a new crew.
Of course, it’s hard to cut ties (especially for close friends or family). So you can always start by simply consuming more content and following more creatives who inspire you.
Content creation and engaging with people online can be a nice segue to building a new community.
6. Start Acting More Authentically (in baby steps)
Forming new habits takes time. But it all starts by taking action.
When it comes to authenticity, knowing what makes you authentic is only half the battle. The other half is taking action and actually doing more of the things that make you more authentic.
Sometimes there are bottlenecks in your way (such as resource issues, confidence problems or just motivation).
So after addressing those obstacles, taking action is essential to becoming more authentic.
So start doing things and making more decisions that are more aligned with your values, creative goals and beliefs.
Becoming more authentic isn’t a passive pursuit – it requires your participation.
Recommended: How to Embrace Your Weirdness
7. Get Into Flow More Often
When I’m in flow, I’m most authentic.
My creativity feels genuine and intuition is firing on all cylinders. My logical brain (who’s otherwise quite good at doubting and questioning everything) is nowhere to be found.
Put another way, your flow state is an awesome way to find and practice your artistic authenticity.
So here are some quick tips for harnessing it:
Get rid of distractions
Solve creative bottlenecks that stand in the way
Stay in the present moment
Act on intuition (more on this below)
Recommended: How to Get Into Your Flow State
8. Pay Attention to Your Strengths
Your natural strengths can be hints about your authenticity.
Because what comes easy for you can also be what sets you apart.
For example, writing melodies and coming up with song ideas is a strength of mine. I don’t need to think about it and ideas flow naturally.
So I prioritize this in my workflows and use it as a focal point in my music (compared to highlighting amazing sound design or memorable lyrics, which are current weaknesses of mine).
When you’re naturally good at something, it’s easier to test new concepts, go off script and feel more confident in your ideas. This is one recipe for authenticity.
And besides, creative authenticity should come easy (once you figure it out).
So leaning into your natural abilities is a great way to get there.
9. Practice Creative Mindfulness
Becoming more authentic is becoming more mindful and aware.
For me, this means stopping and reflecting more about my creative habits, decisions and lifestyle. This helps me maintain my authenticity.
But creative mindfulness also helps in discovering what makes you unique in the first place.
Hitting pause and doing a little self reflection is always a good idea. It’s like sitting down with yourself and getting to really know you better than you ever have before.
What makes you psyched? What gets you stressed?
Do you experience creative anxiety? And if so, about what and why?
Mindfulness requires intention and awareness. And starting into a meditation routine is one of my favorite ways to sharpen this skill.
At the end of the day, mindful authenticity puts you in the driver’s seat of your creativity and brand.
10. Practice Creative Intuition
Intuition is one of the biggest hints for what makes you authentic.
It’s that gut feeling or sense of pull we get when doing something or making some creative decision.
For some people, it comes naturally. For others, it takes some practice to harness.
But here are some ways to practice and strengthen your creative intuition:
Meditate more
Tune into your body (listen to its cues more often)
Flip a coin for decisions (are you disappointed with the result?)
Try visualization
Trust yourself
Lean into spontaneity
11. Remember, Authenticity Isn’t A Destination
Patience and loving the journey is how I approach authenticity.
It’s how I approach most things.
It’s an adventurer’s mindset, which is fun because it turns everything into one epic journey.
Authenticity isn't an overnight thing. It’s also not a one-and-done thing. Because sometimes what makes you authentic right now may change over time.
So remember, authenticity isn’t a destination.
It’s an adventure and building a closer relationship with yourself.
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