Creating without boundaries

You can listen to this post below!

So I am probably going to date myself here but…… Does anyone out there remember the intimate relationship between Top 40 and a tape recorder?

Or was I the only one who sat there with my finger poised on the record button as the top music of the week was counting down, ready to hit record in that sweet spot that allowed me to get maximum play of a song’s intro along with minimum of the DJ talking? Was I the only one who thought this was the perfect way to create a mixtape of exactly the music that I wanted? Because let’s face it - who else was going to make a tape that had Oasis followed by Madonna and Janet Jackson, and rounded out by a calypso that I happened to fortunately capture the following week!

Ok - I know I wasn’t the only one. I know I also wasn’t the only one who had exercise books dedicated to song lyrics, or who used to perform lip sync concerts for her sisters. 

I think we all had those days (at least those of us in my age range) and I remember moving back to England in the early 2000s and bonding with my fellow work colleagues who were halfway around the world, doing the same thing at the same time as me!

These days, instead of hitting record, I am fortunate enough to create playlists on youtube or spotify, and I can use google to find song lyrics, and even Shazam to identify songs as they come on the radio (although my sister still calls and hums songs for me to identify!) but I was recently thinking of those days of creating crazy mix tapes as I was chatting with my co-host of the Creative Corner (our weekly clubhouse show) about creativity. (And to those who don’t know her - she is Jennifer Lancaster - Creatrix, Coach and the queen of Spotify Playlists! Among other things…)

We were discussing writing, and the merits of creating art (whether it be visual, written or even edible) for yourself vs for your audience. As I have spent the last year coaching entrepreneurs around creating content that connects with their audiences, I often find myself stressing the importance of connecting with your audience, and ensuring that you know your audience well, consider where they are on their journey, and tailor your words and your work to suit them. This is important, particularly when you are creating content to market your business, and that really serves your audience.

But my conversation with Jen got me thinking about the value of creating without limits - of not considering who is reading or watching (or indeed being concerned if anyone is at all!); of not letting that be the driving factor to what you create, and instead creating from a place of self-expression, from experimentation, from play and fun and joy. And to be clear - there is so much value in this as well! 

For starters, there is a lot of value in experimentation, play, fun, joy and self-expression. One of the things I learned when I published my first book was that I was often completely wrong about what people were thinking, or wanting. Many of us (including me) often put palatable versions of ourselves out there, and try to behave in “certain” ways because we believe that is what is expected of us, and that is what other people are doing/wanting/being. And this may be true in a work environment, but I have found far more often that the mask that I try to wear in order to “fit in” only allows me to fit in with the masks that others are wearing. 

Instead, when I make an effort to express myself, and I am more openly myself, others are often inspired to do the same, and quite often I discover that they have the same questions, doubts, and fears that I have, and the same desires and joys. When I let go of what I thought I “should” be creating for the sake of others, and instead created what I wanted, I found a number of people who still resonated with what I wrote, and many of them were people who I knew (or thought I knew) and whose judgement I feared the most, thinking that they would expect differently from me. Instead, they were overjoyed to be able to take off their masks too, and be seen for who they were.

And let’s face it - wearing a mask is exhausting. And even if you aren’t actually wearing a mask, I find that worrying about what others want/need while I am writing can cause serious drag on my creative energy, and I actually prefer to simply create what I want, and put it out there, and see who is attracted to it. And while there is a place for tailor made writing, art, music etc, there is also a place for a free creative self-expression. I felt like doing this created so much more self-acceptance for me. I found it easier to accept all of the parts that made me who I am, and allowed me to connect with others who I had things in common with that I had never even considered.

Secondly, I have found that there are always folks out there who will enjoy your creations - particularly the ones that are simply an expression of you. This may be a great way to find a whole new set of people who appreciate different types of art/creativity, and make new connections. In this way, you are seeking out those who align with how you express yourself while creating, instead of tailoring to suit a particular market.

Thirdly, there is something incredible about trying new things. It uses a different part of the brain, and I find it brings fresh eyes to other parts of my life. Creating something that I do just for the joy of creating it is so refreshing to me, and it brings an energy to the writing that I do for my business, to the conversations that I have in my work, and to my relationships with others, and let’s face it - with myself! And the truth is - I love discovering new forms of art - new authors, new types of books, new types of music etc - so it is true for me both as a creator and a consumer, and I believe it’s true for others in the same way.

Even though I know this to be true, I sometimes find it is a hard balance to strike, and I hear that cry from other creators as well. However, I have found that creating from that place of self expression, and not worrying about who it is for has been critical to my well-being, and ironically has improved my business. And while I don’t know if I can give you the answer of how to hold both of these - creating for your audience, and creating from a place purely of self-expression - I think the key is in understanding the importance of holding both of these things. The key is knowing that both of these ways of creating are important, and knowing how allowing yourself the space and giving yourself permission to create without limits, without the pressure of considering your audience, and what they want to hear from you, but instead putting your creative power into what you want to put into the world can have positive impacts on your life, and on your business too.

Sometimes we have to remember that what is best for us can also be what’s best for those around us.

I hope that by making space for a purely creative practice, you begin to embrace your true self, release some of the palatable masks you have been wearing (in business and in your life) and discover new connections and more energy from bringing something new into the world. For me that has looked like taking a social media hiatus and writing a novel during nanowrimo… It has looked like exploring new and old ideas in fiction. It has looked like writing an ode to my standing mixer (true story! You’ll find it here!) And it has looked like crazy spotify playlists like this one - a throwback to my top 40 days where I could create a mixtape that was exactly what I wanted and that was just for me!

What could it look like for you?

When was the last time you created something that was exactly what you wanted? Putting together existing things that feel as if they SHOULD NOT FIT together but somehow they do - like that mix tape where you followed up a heartwarming piece of classical music with a spicy soca beat that went straight to your waist? Or dropped some cheddar into your brownie mix? (true story - I saw this on the internet!) Or created something new and experimental and different? Something that felt frivolous? Or taboo? Or just plain fun? When was the last time you didn’t consider who was watching or listening or reading, and just created the thing - without those limitations? Without worrying about the word count, or genres, or whether the language was too complicated, or whether it was the type of thing a “proper” adult/coach/parent would do?

I recently wrote a piece on creativity and shame, and I definitely believe that sometimes those are the very things we need to create. We can break down stigmas, we can make new connections, and if nothing else, we can simply create for the sake of creating - because we can - because we have our senses with us, and we feel inspired, and we want to. Some of my best creations came from doing the thing I wanted, instead of the thing I thought would be right for my audience.

So if I could challenge you to do one thing - it would be channel that child/teenager who created random playlists on cassette tapes, or who made up dances and songs - and to create something fun today just because. Create without boundaries, and see what incredible things can happen as a result. Create something that is a mixture of all the things that you are, like that unique mix tape that you created when you were young.

And then share it with me - I dare you!!

I send you big love from a small island.

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