Stop killing your true creative voice

A huge, beautiful library with a high ceiling and big windows. Rows and rows of bookcases. But no books.

The streets packed with people. Rushing from importance to serious. But no one is on their phone.

A meeting, with enthusiastic people sitting around a table. No one is speaking.

A world with no voices.

I’m not gonna lie here. The world will keep spinning even if you stay quiet.

But imagine a silent world.

Or better yet, imagine a world with no authentic voices.

The library is filled with books, but they are all grey. They all have the same title. They all tell the same story over and over.

People are talking on the phone, but everyone keeps saying Yes, the weather is nice.

The meeting ends quickly after everyone has agreed with each other for five minutes.

I wouldn't like that world. Hell, we're living too close to it already.

No, instead imagine billions of voices.

Billions of hearts speaking, lives being shared, insides shown and adored.

Yeah, sometimes it's hard to get heard in a noisy world.
Sometimes we may feel like we need to adjust our voice to fit other people's ears.

But here's a secret.

The people who speaks with their own, authentic voice, they are few. The people doing their own thing, using their quirks, perspectives and life to tell what is true, what's beneath the layers of social adjustment. Even now, in a digital age with millions of voices speaking, the authentic voices are rare.

They are rare, because we are used to hiding them. We learn to imitate and change our voices to get accepted. We hide them to the point of not being able to access our own voices. We get scared of sharing our inner worlds, to get our most true selves rejected by others.

And still, authentic voices work. They make people stop and listen. They stick out in a sea of sameness. It gets people saying, "that’s interesting", but also "hey, me too" and "wow, it’s like you’re in my mind". Which is silly, because it's our unique voices that eventually brings us together, connects the parts we keep hidden.

This is not me going on to tell you I'm such an expert on this. I'm not. But I'm trying. I'm refocusing to my inner voice and I'm doing my best to bring it forth. To talk with it as honestly as I can. It's hard, after years of hiding. It's difficult to stand up, bare and naked, and talk.

But it matters. I have to believe that my voice matters. That when I speak my truth, I'll invoke yours too. That when we stop pretending and dig down to our nerves and bones, unlocking bright flames but also the dark and ugly. That's when creativity really becomes something. When it has the power to change the world.

So, Creative.

Your voice matters.
YOUR voice matters.

Not the bland repetition of what we've learned and heard. Yes, learn all the fun and interesting techniques, but use them with your voice. Learn the rules and then throw them out the window.

Make up your own rules or just fuck rules.

Cut the crap. To hell with constraints.

Don't know what your voice sounds like? I get it. I barely know mine. But hey, aren't we all constantly discovering and creating who we are? The point is we're not trying to be someone else. We're chasing after ourselves.

Dig dig dig. Pick up all that's you. Throw away things you don't like. Stop feeling like you have to do things a certain way, just because someone else said it. What the hell do they know, they're just human too. Follow your own interest and intuition. If coffee is your jam, do everything coffee. I'll stick to my tea, thankyouverymuch. If it's already been done, screw that! You'll do it again, but in your way. And most importantly, create create create. Only in creation will you find your inner creative voice.

I ask myself, how would this be more me? How can I bring my interests, talents, hang ups and quirks into my craft? How can I splash the page with my blood and tears? How can I paint my laughter? Where's the gasp and the yum and the OMFG? What would this look like if my heart made it?

Creative, I believe in your voice. I believe that you have a world inside of you that can make amazing things. Don't stare at others until your eyes bleed. Just let them inspire you or show you what disgusts you, and move on. Move inwards, to your dreams and memories. Then breathe it out into the world, the best you can. Let it take time, because things like these takes time. Unlocking our insides doesn't happen overnight. But they don't happen by themselves either.

Imagine a world of billions of authentic voices. Wouldn't that world be the most beautiful thing? Wouldn't you want to be part of creating that world?

Hey, Creative.
Your voice matters.
It matters to the world.
It matters to me. And to you.