I’m currently writing this bitch during my vaca in Vietnam right now and it’s an absolute vibe.
It’s been a while since I’ve felt this much creative juices and vitality in so long, ever since my dark night of the soul I was in (which I’ll talk about in the future).
Things are shifting and I’m really happy to finally be on the roll again.
Though I won’t make any promises because of how unpredictable life is, but it just is what it is and I’m really feeling bombastic again.
Here’s a quick roof-top pic (I’ll post more soon hehe)!
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The word authenticity is one of the most misunderstood terms ever.
Most influencers on the creator-space share advice or ideas on authenticity as if it’s only just a mere brand-strategy . A such profound and life-changing idea reduced to just a means to an end.
“Authenticity is the way to grow an audience & stand out.”
“Authenticity is the way to build a captivating & impactful brand”
“Authenticity is the way to make more money & income”
And that is true (which they are coming from good intentions).
Being honest, open, and engaged with your audience will obviously grant you those shiny things - especially in a time where people are sick and tired of superficial influencers.
And there’s nothing wrong with wanting the rewards of being authentic - because there is a lot. You stand out more, you attract attention more, and you connect more.
But is this seriously what authenticity only amounts to?
Just a mere strategical tool that a brand or business can use to acquire more vanity, attention, and spotlight? To lead more people down in their funnel and buy from them?
Is this really the way? Because people (even yourself) can feel the superficiality if you were practicing it just for the sake of catching more eyes or trying to be “different” from everybody else.
Authenticity doesn’t become authenticity anymore.
It just becomes deception, and at the same time, self-deception. It loses it’s real spark, meaning, and vitality behind the word, and in actuality, becomes another buzzword that everybody just uses, while not knowing the true profundity behind it.
And that’s the purpose behind this newsletter.
Not to give you an impractical essay on how authenticity is “so deep bro.” But just to give you a unique perspective on authenticity so you can have a better understanding of yourself and your work.
And also we’ll explore relating perspectives to authenticity such as polarization and vulnerability as well - since it’s relevant to at least how authenticity is perceived in this creator space.
Now if I’d be honest, I really dunno the main-topic of this newsletter is and really I’m just writing whatever comes into mind 🤣
But with further ado, let’s crack this bitch open.
Authenticity is not a strategy, it is a way of being Like I said earlier, many people rave on authenticity as just means for capturing attention and differentiation.
And honestly, it does feel like the hot thing for about a year and a half or so.
You do feel the pressure of wanting to share, document, and express everything about yourself, especially when you see your other creator friends acquiring a lot of engagement and followers.
But forcing yourself to be authentic to others is not being authentic with yourself. Because authenticity isn’t just about being honest to people, it is about being honest to yourself. To listen to yourself, to understand yourself, to follow yourself, and to be true to yourself.
Being authentic isn’t supposed to just better your craft as a creator, it is to better your life as a person.
This is what true authenticity is. And through this is where you can reveal what is unique to you. The latin root for authenticity is authentica, meaning “original.” In essence every person has their own authentic Self, and through this authenticity is where you can come in contact with it.
And that uniqueness, or how I would say it, “You-niqueness,” is where you can implement and express that within your work as a creator or entrepreneur.
That’s how you actually stand out from the crowd, just by knowing and being yourself. You don’t just start capturing attention, but you start capturing hearts .
Again there’s nothing wrong with practicing authenticity as a creator with the small-intention of wanting an outcome out of it - I mean cmon bro, whoever says that they don’t want a deeper connection with their audience, more followers, and more customers.
Paradoxically the less you try to be authentic, the more you are being authentic.
And the rewards are the byproduct of you being unwaveringly honest and true to yourself and your principles - as a creator and as a person.
On becoming polarizing You hear a lot of creators talk about this and it is about being polarizing as a creator.
Meaning you firmly stand for something. Along with your strong beliefs, opinions, and ideas that you are aligned with and express - with absolute and unwavering conviction, even if many people disagree with (or dislike) you.
What’s interesting is also every person in essence is polarizing because everyone is unique.
This transcends some mere strategy because it is everyone’s birth-right to realize it and express it. Without freezing to the feelings of judgement, limitation, and ostracization from anyone else.
And through embodying your polarizing-self helps you easily stand out from people that always have the same generic and platitude-like opinions - especially in the niche of self-improvement.
And overall just makes you a more interesting, compelling, and entertaining person compared to most creators - just by being yourself.
But there’s a shadow-side to this (because ofc 🤣)
If you were to be polarized to the extreme and start having pure black-and-white or unchallengeable beliefs, you will be a danger to your audience and yourself.
This is literally how you build low-conscious audiences that can’t think for themselves, form cults that brainwash people to be fanatic over you, and create us-vs-them dynamics that create chaos for no good reason.
Because at this point, you are forcing your spoon of ideas down your audience’s throats - without empowering them to think or explore for themselves.
And because you’re so polarized with your beliefs, good chance if anyone challenges them, you might have a hissy fit of defence mechanisms, shadow-projections, virtue-signaling, and gaslighting.
Ok not to that extreme but still. 🤣
This is what a lot of modern self-help or entrepreneur gurus (mana-personalities ) do when they get challenged by anyone else. They will pull a knights move on the person in a way so they can make them out to “be in the wrong.” And them? Obvious they’re in the right!
“Oh but I’m just being polarizing bro,” yes, your polarity is the reason why your consciousness is low and your own audience’s consciousness is low. You are the blind leading the blind, and you will eventually lead everyone off a cliff.
And this is why you should avoid anyone that has the word “cult-leader” in their bio at all fucking costs.
These are the type of people that actually think creating an ignorant and a practically low-intelligent audience is the best strategy to grow their business. But in reality, they are the ones endangering the ascension of the collective consciousness and thwarting their own work. That is the profound danger behind taking polarization to the extreme-end.
And hey, again I’m not saying don’t embrace your polarizing-self, because ultimately that is what also being yourself is.
Everyone in this relative domain is undeniably distinct and if you have any unique traits, beliefs, or perspectives, you should embody them, develop them, and express them, despite what other people think.
P.s. I also have an X-post on developing unique-perspectives as well if this interests you :)
As long as you have actual values and principles behind what you are doing.
And as long that you understand that polarity doesn’t truly exist, but only harmony does. Mhm I just “contradicted” myself but in a meta-perspective that transcends this physical-reality, all is One and what we should all do is connect with more people, rather than separate ourselves from people.
With this healthy approach of embracing your polarizing-self, this is how you share unique ideas that will inspire people but at the same time, be able to empower people as well.
All and all, just do what feels intuitively right to you!
On becoming vulnerable Vulnerability as a creator is one of the easiest way to build a deep, emotional, and relatable connection with your audience.
Because to be vulnerable is to be have the courage to share something that you really don’t feel the most comfortable to share, yet you do it anyways for the sake of something positive.
And no wonder how this aspect of authenticity is what really drive people’s popularity, just because of how goddamn raw some people can be with this. It removes the distance & walls between the influencer & the audience - and you outwardly put yourself at the same level as them.
But for some creators, they use vulnerability as a way to create an exaggerated sob-story, just for the sake of farming people’s attention and empathy for you.
Or for some others, they feel the need to overshare their own personal lives on the internet because of their desire to be vulnerable and authentic - where it just becomes uncomfortable to the viewer (and them), and where it seems like they’re just there for people’s reactions.
Again you should embrace your vulnerable side as a creator (and a person). Having the unwavering courage to be honest, genuine, and upfront with yourself cultivates a profound connection with your audience and can even create a great healing effect for yourself as well!
But don’t use it as a means to force yourself to tell a story you don’t want or to exaggerate yourself.
Keep your boundaries secure and again, do what feels right to you and what you’re doing.
Everything is about intention Just to end this off before I forget to say this but no strategy or tactic in branding or business is inherently bad, it’s only about the intention behind them. And even though I don’t like to see these ideas as just practical-tools, this applies to being authentic, polarizing, and vulnerable.
At the end of the day, if you’re going towards something positive and you’re doing it through ethical methods, then you shouldn’t ever doubt yourself. Because you KNOW that you’re making (and contributing towards) something meaningful - the manifestation of yourmagnum opus.
And the reality is that going down the path of deception as a creator is by far the easiest way. You won’t have to question yourself much, you won’t have to care about people as much, nor would you keep yourself accountable in following an ethical path. But the end result is you leaving a shitty stain on the world - and your own psyche.
But you and me know that this was never a path that was ever considered in our souls to follow.
We will be true to ourselves, we will strengthen our own boundaries, and we will express who we are deep down - our own authentica .
That is the infinite-game we decided to pursue our life’s great work, our own philosopher’s stone.
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Been a while since I’ve wrote one of these bad-boys and seriously it feels cathartic indeed to write and express whatever the fuck I want 🤤
I’m also planning to not pressure myself to stick primarily to 1 big-idea because I feel like it’ll limit my own capacity to teach, inspire, and empower people. So fuck these boundaries, Imma dissolve all of em AHAHAHAHHA.
And also I’m still open for free branding consultations for creators who struggle with:
monetizing their passion finding their own unique-path growing a loving audience I invite you to DM me (or reply w/) ‘WIN’ for a free 45m clarity call if this speaks to you :)
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