Put Creative Back in Creativity

I realize that they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but too many people are using that as a blanket license to switch on cruise control.

At a time when there are so many creators, why is there so much repetition?  I get it that it’s challenging to come up with something fresh every day to post on social media, but other than on a Staples commercial, no one ever said that there would be an easy button.  After all, if it were simple, wouldn’t everyone be not only doing it but succeeding at it?

The writing community is so refreshing to immerse yourself in.  Among various other events, I have been fortunate to speak at a number of writers conferences.  Whether I’m doing a one-on-one consultation at one of those events or, as was the case late last week, talking with a writer over videoconferencing about potentially becoming a Now Hear This client, I’m always so impressed with how imaginative the stories are that they are writing.

With the crazy number of books that hit Amazon regularly, there’s quite a challenge when it comes to writing something new.  Yet still they manage to forge ahead and do exactly that.  (I saw something from August 2023 that said eleven thousand new titles per day!)

As evidenced by having just been there last month, I also spend time in Nashville where the songwriter community faces the same hurdle every day.  Pay attention to how much new music comes out every Friday and you’ll start to get a look into the challenge of writing a song that hasn’t already been done.  (On Episode 583 of my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast, released last Wednesday, songwriter Kylie Sackley said, “I don't want every song to be about girls and trucks and tailgates.  I want to say something more.”)

All that having been said, I’m amazed and frustrated by what a copycat society you’ll witness if you look for such.

Someone could look at the photo above and say, "Isn't the light bulb supposed to be appearing over the top of her head, implying that she thought of an idea?"  And that's my point.  Yes, if you wanted to do what everyone does, then that's the photo you'd see.  Instead, this is something different that makes you stop and think.

While it’s well established that I am the host of the aforementioned podcast, I don’t very much reveal here that I’m not only quite a sports fan but have done lots of sports broadcasting over the years.  It saddens me that even in that realm I hear people regurgitating the same lingo over and over.  When I think of the Keep It Simple Stupid approach, I wonder why broadcasters can’t just use common expressions rather than having to so quickly implement the jargon that players and coaches throw around?

For example, in hockey, faceoffs are a chance for either team to gain possession of the puck, just like a player from each team battling for it along the boards.  Yet, I hear too many broadcasters saying, “50/50 pucks.”  I know what that means.  I get it.  I understand why it’s an alternative.  But it’s the overuse that makes me think they’re just trying to sound cool and gain acceptance by impressing the players and coaches themselves.

This happens in lacrosse too, by the way, relative to faceoffs and loose balls (“50/50 balls”).

You know it’s bad when a national sports radio talk show points out, “No, you have to say, ‘quarterback room.’  That’s the new expression that they’re all using.”  I actually heard this myself, live, on a show I like to listen to if I happen to be out driving while it’s on.  In other words, “Hey, this is what the players and coaches in the NFL are saying, so we should say it too!”  Why?  The audience will still know what you mean if you say, “the quarterbacks on their roster” or “the guys at that position on the depth chart.”

Creators love to try to start trends but more often than not they’re jumping on the bandwagon of something that’s already trending.  Granted, it’s all with the hope of going viral, but wouldn’t you rather that people discover you for something original instead of your version of something that someone else came up with?

It’s not unlike how I have heard some podcasters reissuing an old episode of their show.  To me this sounds like you wanted the easy way out, meaning, an excuse to take a week off and not have to, yup, you guessed it, come up with something new.

Trust me, I get it.  I know this is easier said than done.  But it starts with committing to originality and fighting the temptation to be a copycat.  Imitation just might not be the sincerest form of flattery, but instead a cop out for not having to apply yourself, and then you’ll be the envy of none.

For more than twenty years I have been helping indie music artists, authors, actors, entrepreneurs, podcasters, filmmakers, small business owners, and more.  What challenges are you having in your creator career that I can lend some insight to?  Connect with me so you can take advantage of all my experience, and I can help and keep you moving forward.