How to Stop Confusing People With All Your Creative Projects
This is connective tissue between my many creative projects, and what's going to make me rich.
I came back to Substack this past December with a ramshackle plan of action, and it felt good. I had a whole strategy mapped out and things were going…hmm, not great, to be honest. All of my stats were in a slow nosedive toward obscurity, but then I said something insane on Notes with almost no proof other than my own intuition.
I’d been drifting toward this idea above for a couple of weeks, but this was the first time I said it in public, and as soon as I shared it, I realized I needed to back up my words. So I went into the lab and go to work on the plan, but then got distracted by chores and video games (I play Arc Raiders with my son, and if you enjoy it too, you know what I mean about distraction).
Jump ahead to this week and a conversation I had with my mother about her own creative journey. I was about to share the same quasi-advice with her (without any justification or real plan) on finding a thread that connects all of her creative work into one concept she can tell others.
The problem with finding that through-line is that it’s different for almost everyone depending on what type of projects or hobbies their indulging. So, back to the lab for research–this time with no video games. Here’s what I found:
↦ Craig Mod
Photographer, writer, adventurer, and bookmaker who has spent years walking thousands of kilometers through rural Japan and turning those walks into essays, photographs, and hand-made books. His entire operation runs on a membership program that funds the freely available work. No content behind paywalls, no courses, just people paying to keep a practitioner in the field doing what he does. His is an ambitious approach that takes diligence and a level of trust that only comes with time.
↦ David Perell
He’s built one of the most successful writing education businesses. Yes, he’s prolific as hell, but more importantly, often shares the sharpest point of view about why writing matters while teaching others to find theirs. His model proves that discernment, packaged well, is worth more than information alone.
↦ Roxane Gay
Novelist, essayist, cultural critic, editor, professor, podcast host, and Marvel comic book write: Her newsletter The Audacity and her New York Times opinion column reach millions of loyal readers because her point of view is the product. She built a brand around her identity, and her audience loves her for it.
↦ Austin Kleon
Poet, artist, and author; Kleon’s built a business around a free weekly newsletter, a handful of books about creativity, and a paid tier that gives subscribers a closer look at what he’s making before it becomes anything official. He’s probably the first proof-of-concept for the Creative Generalist by showing that his musing aren’t just philosophy, but also a revenue model (more on him below).
The Connection Is Right There!
Don’t read any further until you answer this question, because if you’re paying attention, I just shared the answer. Vote and then leave a comment telling me what you think the answer is.
The cheaters who don’t answer the question are going to come here looking for the answer, but you gotta do the work, or it won’t count. Go back up and answer the question.
Paying for Knowledge is DEAD!
Slightly divergent thought here (big surprise, this is me we’re talking about), but A.I. has obliterated almost all traditional educational models. Name any online teacher or coach who has made tens or hundreds of thousands on selling strategy or tactics, and I’ll show you someone who is about to be out of a job IF they don’t change their business model. If you go into ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini and ask them to tell you everything Marie Forleo, Amy Porterfield, or Dan Koe has said about growing a business, you’ll get the entire playbook in less time than it took input your credit card # to pay $3,000 for their training program.
Paying for knowledge is dead in the water, and any coach who still tries to sell you on a 8-week program to teach you anything is going to find themselves in the proverbial bread line soon, because why would anyone pay for tactics and strategy that can be found through ChatGPT.
What people will pay for going forward is discernment and creativity. Maybe you’re not trying to be a coach or mentor, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t willing to learn from you and pay for your experience. It’s not just about tactics, but knowing the nuanced approach to specific scenarios because you’ve lived them all, or at least lived enough to understand how to navigate new challenges.
I’m not selling products. I’m selling perspective.
That statement might make some people upset, rightfully so, but allow me to clarify it. I don’t mean to stop selling your physical work. Please keep doing that; the world needs your art.
However, the approach I’m taking toward my business going forward is to share my discernable perspective; one that AI cannot generate ideas based on lived experiences because it has none—only humans can do that.
If I do this right, the byproduct will be subscribers become paid members to tap into those lived experiences and keen judgement I’ve earned through years of toil and frustration. Also, some might buy my physical products because they like what I make and they appreciate how I show up.
The Creative Generalist Through-Line
If you ever want to make the gods laugh at you, make plans. Thankfully, I’m not a religious man, so I’m going forward anyway. I fully anticipate some aspects of this to change, but this is everything I’m planning for the future, for the business and my creative life in general.
How I’m changing not only what people get from me, but how they get it (hint: face time).
My thoughts on how I see this playing out both immediately and in the near future.
The philosophy and mindset behind all of it so I know my voice and message is consistent with each interaction.
I’m certain this will be valuable to many people, and if you are eager to know more, consider upgrading to member status.
In Case You Missed It:
Advice I Would Give My Mother (and you) to Enhance Her Creative Life
My mother is a self-described struggling artist and recently asked me for help. This is everything I'm going to tell her this weekend when I see her next.
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