STANDING OUT IN YOUR FIELD
How to stand out in your creative field.
One thing Im really proud of myself for doing is when I started this blog that I didn’t look at any other blog. I just started to do shit my way and what I thought was good in my head. I didn’t have a template to work from because I didn’t care to look at one. Looking back in hindsight I guess my laziness making me not research other blogs was a blessing because I probably would’ve copied what they did. I would’ve thought “I should be like them” instead of figuring out what works best for me and what makes me feel good. This mindset I have is why I believe I standout amongst all the other blogs out here. I just started and once I saw what works for me, what stands out, and what doesn’t I just made adjustments. I focused on what came natural to me instead of what people expect from blogs. You find your style once you’ve covered a good amount of distance in your creative journey. You’ll look back at what you did to get to the point you’re at and realize what’s special and works for you. It takes time to define your style. It’s not something you immediately know. People will see what comes natural to you and want more of it and you won’t have a problem producing and giving them your work because it comes natural to you and you love it. It won’t feel like work because you’re being yourself.
Does your story stand out and is it authentic? People buy into stories first then the product. The story is what defines you and your brand. What happens when someone usually likes an artist. Something about the artist intrigued them enough to get their attention then they research the artists background story. It happens everyday. Your story is what helps you stand out and keep you around. You ain’t gotta make up some super sad shit where you were homeless and you fought 8 crackheads at once growing up and now you’re a painter. Everyone is interesting and someone will relate to your story if it’s authentic. Your brand has to have a story and why you’re doing and why are you different from everyone else in your field. Once people know your why then they will get into the other shit you do. Don’t tell people what they should like about you. You let them decide what they like about you. Kurt Cobain was a excellent musician but his story is what fascinated a lot of his fans to stick around for his musical journey. Write your story down and just tell it to random people and see if they’re interested in it. That’s how you have a story worth telling and people will support you even harder after hearing it.
Talking to strangers is a lost art. Nobody talks to strangers. If you go to an event you won’t see too many people talk to strangers. They’ll talk to who they know and thats it. Guarantee that if you go to an event and meet and talk to 10 people you’ve never seen before in your life and give them your social media information you will stand out in their mind. Take a picture with them too. Not many Business owners talk to people because they’re too busy trying to be fancy and exclusive. The owners that show that they’re regular people and not portraying that they’re untouchable always win somehow. You also give the person a chance to see how good of a person you are before someone else tells them about you. It’s one thing to hear about someone. It’s another thing to experience them for yourself.
Show people what fuels you and make sure it’s something that’s honorable or interesting that fuels you. Like showing that doing good business fuels you is dope. It shows that you take your shit seriously and you’ve also set the tone for people to approach you with their business in order.
Think Big. This was something I never did before writing mainly because I was afraid to. I would lie and say I didn’t want a lot of money. I would lie and say I didn’t wanna help more than just my family. Thinking big will help you achieve what you want to achieve. A Lamborghini not impossible. If you can see the car you can get the car. It’s nothing wrong with wanting to see yourself inside of one. The people who think big about everything in their life are more focused and stand out in their field. People love seeing creatives ambition because it awakens the ambition inside themselves. They love seeing creatives think big outside the box and think big in helping others. Your imagination needs to big and you need to believe it so you can bring it to life. When you think big you pull the things out of your mind that you once thought couldn’t exist into the world.
Support Others/Help other people. Take pleasure in other people happiness. You saw this in the biggest form with LeBron James opening up a public school for at risk children in Akron, Ohio. Was he the first to do it? No. But what made it stand out is that he took it to another level. He used his influence as the best basketball player in the world for more than materialism and living a lavish lifestyle. He used his influence to bet on the future of his culture. He not only helped the students attending but the students parents and factored in every possible obstacle families could face putting a child through school. So it’s just like I said above this. LeBron and his team had to “Think Big” then they did something that lying politicians in this country said they couldn’t do. If you want to really stand out, be selfless. Help as many people as possible. Support as many people as possible. Taking pleasure in other people happiness besides your own will make life a lot more fulfilling. You have more awareness of the world. You have a deeper perspective about things. You gain EMPATHY (YAY THE E WORD!!!!). Support others when people aren’t looking or know about it either. Don’t look for credit when you support or help people. Only do it if you don’t want or expect something in return.
Evolving. Always grow. Always evolve. If you never do this as a creative you will get left behind. Document the growth. Show the world the growth. You can never learn it all and that’s what makes the journey fun. You’re always learning. Be open and willing to change. Accept that people are different and people have different perspectives. If you ever stop being the student that means your creative journey is over. The creative that adapts is the creative that has longevity.
Be comfortable in the truth. Fuck beautiful lies. The creative that’s not faking the funk. Not fronting. Genuine. Stands out. People know you won’t kiss their ass. They know your life is real. They know that you believe talk is cheap and you show them that it’s real. The truth is beautiful. It’s not brutal or hurts. It only hurts when you refuse to accept what things or people are. You can move forward with the truth. Let your creativity speak your truth. Always.
Peace.
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