"Authenticity is self awareness + action" is an incredibly simple yet mind blowing concept.
The writer Teju Cole quit Twitter over 5 years ago and never looked back despite having hundreds of thousands of followers and being a top influence in the community at the time. I realized I could take this formula and apply it to anyone who I thought was 'authentic' and would small find actions and situations in their life that prove it. These little, finite pieces of audacity.
Another word that strikes the mind is originality. Especially as an artist or creative. What does it mean to be original? Original writer. Original artist. Original thinker. I think you've cracked it Ojuolaope. Originality is authenticity + skill², or whatever mathematical model that conveys the both.
I’ve thought about originality a lot & (in the past) would worry I didn’t have it. Until I started to spend long stretches of time alone (on walks), pondering ideas without any external input. And then, I started to practice checking in with myself more.
It also helped to realise that we’re all inspired by something — what we see or hear or even by nature itself. Our favourite artists/writers are/were too. It’s what you do with those ideas that are then true to you. Austin Kleon’s Steal Like An Artist expands on this although I’m very wary of the loose use of “steal” in the context.
I think Kleons work, though unintentionally, even further drives home the notion that not all artists can be truly original. It's simply a question contexts and paradigms. I love a lot of Kleons ideas about creativity, especially as he had a disinterested posture towards the concept of artistic originality. I think his use of 'steal' was more about the melodramatic, or even click-bait effect of the word on the entire thing. Might have been a marketing decision of some sorts. I think his general idea was personalized imitation. But no one is buying a book titled 'Imitate like an artist'😂
Thanks for sharing. This part — "But we often ignore our own rich internal world. How often do we stop to examine our reactions, interests and feelings?" — reminded me of the introduction to Marcus Buckingham's Love + Work where he asked "When last did you take time to study the extraordinary uniqueness of you?". I journal and try to ask deep questions about myself, my desires, feelings, and reactions, but there's always room for more depth, more intentionality. I plan to pursue that next year.
P.S: Love the new logo (and if it's not new, then I'm just noticing it 🙈)
I really enjoyed this. So recently I had kind of like an Aha moment where I realized that what makes us uniquely who we are, is the decisions and the actions we chose to make. I love how you say authenticity is self awareness+ actions. Happy almost new year Ojuolape 🥳
Splendid! While reflecting on 2023, I too was just thinking about how introspection and emotional awareness helped me a lot with my struggle with anxiety. Spending conscious time with oneself settles a lot of uncomfortable emotions in the long run. Thank you for writing this!
"Authenticity is self awareness + action" is an incredibly simple yet mind blowing concept.
The writer Teju Cole quit Twitter over 5 years ago and never looked back despite having hundreds of thousands of followers and being a top influence in the community at the time. I realized I could take this formula and apply it to anyone who I thought was 'authentic' and would small find actions and situations in their life that prove it. These little, finite pieces of audacity.
Another word that strikes the mind is originality. Especially as an artist or creative. What does it mean to be original? Original writer. Original artist. Original thinker. I think you've cracked it Ojuolaope. Originality is authenticity + skill², or whatever mathematical model that conveys the both.
This was a satisfying read. Happy holidays.
I’ve thought about originality a lot & (in the past) would worry I didn’t have it. Until I started to spend long stretches of time alone (on walks), pondering ideas without any external input. And then, I started to practice checking in with myself more.
It also helped to realise that we’re all inspired by something — what we see or hear or even by nature itself. Our favourite artists/writers are/were too. It’s what you do with those ideas that are then true to you. Austin Kleon’s Steal Like An Artist expands on this although I’m very wary of the loose use of “steal” in the context.
I think Kleons work, though unintentionally, even further drives home the notion that not all artists can be truly original. It's simply a question contexts and paradigms. I love a lot of Kleons ideas about creativity, especially as he had a disinterested posture towards the concept of artistic originality. I think his use of 'steal' was more about the melodramatic, or even click-bait effect of the word on the entire thing. Might have been a marketing decision of some sorts. I think his general idea was personalized imitation. But no one is buying a book titled 'Imitate like an artist'😂
Thanks for sharing. This part — "But we often ignore our own rich internal world. How often do we stop to examine our reactions, interests and feelings?" — reminded me of the introduction to Marcus Buckingham's Love + Work where he asked "When last did you take time to study the extraordinary uniqueness of you?". I journal and try to ask deep questions about myself, my desires, feelings, and reactions, but there's always room for more depth, more intentionality. I plan to pursue that next year.
P.S: Love the new logo (and if it's not new, then I'm just noticing it 🙈)
Oou I’ll look out for his work, thanks for sharing! Haha yes, it’s a new logo and overall branding concept.
Have a lovely 2024, Dunni 🤍
I really enjoyed this. So recently I had kind of like an Aha moment where I realized that what makes us uniquely who we are, is the decisions and the actions we chose to make. I love how you say authenticity is self awareness+ actions. Happy almost new year Ojuolape 🥳
Absolutely. Have a great 2024! ✨
Splendid! While reflecting on 2023, I too was just thinking about how introspection and emotional awareness helped me a lot with my struggle with anxiety. Spending conscious time with oneself settles a lot of uncomfortable emotions in the long run. Thank you for writing this!
It’s so key! Have a lovely 2024, Jesugbemi!