Make what moves you.

Cutting through creative clutter to find your loudest voice.

For most people with “creative” jobs, there are two kinds of work. There is the work we’re assigned, the jobs that require our skills but perhaps not our passion. And then there is work that requires both, the kind that truly fills us up. I’d imagine this is true for “non-creative” roles as well.

When I look at prolific creators that I admire, I’m oft left wondering…how do they do it? How do they produce podcasts, newsletters, books, screenplays, etc., so consistently, so well made? To be clear, there are loads of creators who produce a lot of stuff, but that’s not what I’m talking about. And I also recognize that sometimes, writers/designers/producers/etc. have to over-index on the clutter, as it pays the bills and I’ve never aspired to be a “starving” artist.

Earlier this week, I found myself in the middle of a revelation. I was writing an article (for this very site no less!), and about 75% through the draft I sat up and realized…

I don’t give a crap about this article.

And then a second revelation. No one else will give a crap about it either. So why was I writing it? Because the “tyranny of ‘shoulds’” (as coined by psychoanalyst Karen Horney) was rearing its head. I know that to be successful at this venture, writing, I should be consistent. And so I’ve allowed consistency to supplant purpose as the primary driver of this endeavor. The article I’m discussing fit the intersection of two undesirable motives:

It was not something I am being paid to make and it did not touch any topic that I was passionate about.

In a creator’s world, where pleasing the algorithm is of utmost importance, there is enormous pressure to remain relevant. Content may be “king” but it is an impatient one, we can’t afford to spend time planning, crafting, or allowing inspiration to take hold lest we lose the attention of the eyeballs we’re meant to impress. And so we create even when we have nothing to add to the conversation.

This is why, in my opinion, there is so much noise on the internet. People who share contrarian opinions may not even believe them, it is a way to elicit response. On LinkedIn so many posts begin with some form of “this is going to be a hot take” followed by a fairly innocuous, agreeable idea probably shared by 45-55% of the audience.

To be fair, I am no creator to aspire to, admittedly. The engagement I get on my content is quite low, and I’ve always been bad about distributing or promoting my work (only one bookstore in America sells my most recent book, by the way, the Brentwood Country Mart in Los Angeles!). So, don’t take my advice if you want to “pop,” if you want to find a big audience and make a real living from your ideas.

Still, I find it hard to believe that the creators we do aspire to become are the ones following some kind of “grind” or “hustle” culture, waking up at 3am, strength training before breakfast, doing cold plunges before diving into their latest endeavor. There are some folks who maintain that kind of schedule, bless them, it will never be how I choose to live (I like pastries too much).

The truth is, we have so much more time than we think we do. Reduce your scrolling. Cap the mindless television (but never get rid of it, again, as long as Vanderpump Rules is on air, some portion of my week will be allocated to it). And above all else, cut through the creative clutter.

Is what you are working on now something that fills you up? If not, is it something that will make you money to help invest in the thing that does? If not, you’re better off bidding the project a respectful adieu and reallocating your precious attention to something that will bring you inner value.

Purposeful creativity is a more palatable path to success, anyway.

Photo by Sear Greyson on Unsplash.