The Gift of Creativity Isn’t For You

If people were to ask me about the secret behind becoming a career creative…

The definition of a career creative is someone who makes a living from their creativity, whatever field they’re in…

I would paraphrase and expand on John Green’s advice, illustrated by Gavin Aung Than of Zen Pencils, right here.

(I have this art framed in my studio, and I look at it every day).

I would tell you…

Don’t create just for money.

You will require money to sustain you as a career creative, but after a certain comfort level, more does not equal better.

Pursuing numbers on a screen will not make you happy in the long run.

If you’re just creating for money’s sake instead of building a body of work you’re proud of, you’re just on a shinier hamster wheel than the average corporate worker.

Don’t create for fame.

Being known for your work is important. Being respected and listened to is as well.

But fame?

Fame is a poor substitute for self-actualization. Deriving your self-worth from external stimulation will keep you insecure and always anxious about what other people think.

Instead, “Make gifts for people.”

Create for people you think will need it.

Your gift of creativity isn’t for you. It’s for them.

I released “Sympathy” because my childhood friend was going through an unbearable experience. Her sister committed suicide, and “my condolences” was an insulting way to show her how much I felt for her.

I wrote You Get What You Give for Chris Graham. Some of you may know him from the early days of the Six Figure Home Studio podcast.

He loved business parables, but there wasn’t one written for the music industry. So I wrote one as a gift for him but released it to the public so that others could enjoy it.

(Not as many people read that one as Step By Step Mixing, which is sad because it’s much more valuable. But that’s the nature of creativity. Not every hit scores, but every hit still counts).

I also hire designers and artists every year to make gifts for my wife.

Outsourcing, delegating, and hiring people more talented than you isn’t just reserved for “business.”

I’m working on a children’s book at the moment, which has an audience of one. I’m giving it to my daughter. Maybe the world.

Smart creatives tell you to practice in public to get better. Once you’re better, make gifts in public to build a career.

Every piece of content should be a gift.

A gift that:

• Solves a problem for your audience.
• Makes your audience feel.
• Helps your audience understand.

Whatever leaves them better off.

Make enough gifts, and you’ll make a body of work to make you proud.

Know this: Most people won’t notice. Most people won’t care. And it’ll leave you dejected.

But some people will. Even if those people will never tell you.

So, even if you don’t get the accolades and adoration you think you deserve, you still did the important part.

You still made the gift.

And you can still enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from giving it.

-Björgvin

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