For centuries, philosophers, artists, and creators have debated the concept of ‘No New Ideas’. The theory suggests that every concept idea or creative output is influenced by or borrowed from past creations. Pablo Picasso famously said, “Good artists copy, great artists steal” – implying that all creative work builds upon what came before.
In the modern world where information is fleeting, we often don’t consider the works produced through thousands of years of history. We’re more concerned about not duplicating the work of some influencer’s video we saw last week. We see an idea come from someone else and instantly rule it out as an option for us.
Every Action Is Borrowed
The truth is that almost every idea we have has been borrowed either intentionally or subconsciously from somewhere else. As a species, we copy each other in almost every area of our lives:
We get our mannerisms from our parents and childhood friends.
Our fashion choices come from style icons.
Dietary choices are influenced by cultural norms; where and when we are born will have the most profound determination on our choices – we mirror the behaviours of our relations and, more broadly – society as a whole.
Our reading and viewing habits are shaped by the popular opinion and recommendations of our peers. Even our ideologies and beliefs are often influenced by the society and environment we are brought up in, or the figures we admire and follow.
The choices we make in our lives are a mosaic of influences from an almost infinite number of people and events.
All Things Have A Beginning
The most common reason people refrain from creating content is the belief that their work will not be good enough. While this may initially be true, content creation, like any other skill, requires learning and practice.
Whatever your chosen path is right now and at whatever stage you are at – there was a time before today when you were not as skilled as you are now. You had to begin from nothing and build your skills over time.
We interact with hundreds or even thousands of pieces of content created by an untold number of people each day. Content can be anything from a single-line Tweet to an Oscar-winning movie—it is all content. The quality of the content we consume is not often measured by how good it looks but rather by how useful it is to us.
Determining Usefulness
There are generally two tiers of usefulness to consider when making content – will this thing entertain or provide insight? People typically engage with content for two main reasons: either they are seeking entertainment as a way to pass the time, or they are looking to acquire new knowledge or perspectives.
Mixing entertainment and knowledge across your content strategy will keep your audience engaged and keen to consume more. Entertainment serves as a pleasant diversion, providing a break from routine or a means of relaxation. Insightful content fuels intellect, satisfies curiosity and drives personal or professional growth.
Make The Content You Want To Consume
You should be your #1 fan. Sure, the content you make needs to entertain or inform your demographic, but if you aren’t also enjoying your content, it is going to be incredibly difficult to keep it consistent. Find a delivery style that fits your niche but also appeals to your own character.
What makes you click, read, or watch – is it the catchy headline, the intriguing thumbnail, or the personality of the creator? Use these insights to shape your own content. By creating the content you would want to consume, you ensure that your work is genuine and relatable.
Infinite Content
To quote the 2017 Arcade Fire song ‘Infinite Content’ – “Infinite content, we’re infinitely content / All your money is already spent on it, on infinite content”.
Content is everywhere, and its sole purpose, either directly or indirectly, is to sell. Content creators invest their time not just to share information or entertain their audience but with the strategic intention of making money.
The artist will sell you a painting, the band a gig ticket, the poet a book, the gym bro a workout plan, the business guru a course, and the fashionista a T-shirt.
Whatever you are selling, sell it in a thousand different ways, from subtle to hard. Find a business or creator that you relate to and copy what worked for them. They almost certainly got their ideas from someone else—remember that Picasso quote?
What Am I Selling?
I didn’t spend an hour writing this post out of the kindness of my heart – I’m also selling something. If you are a freelancer who struggles to stay consistent with your business, the best thing you can do is to perfect your morning routine. ‘Conquer the morning, and the day takes care of itself’.
Every weekday morning, we run Morning Accountability Sessions with a small group of like-minded freelancers. You can find out more on our Morning Accountability page, and I guarantee it will change your life.
This article was inspired by Justin Welsh’s recent post – ‘My Secret To Writing a (Great) Newsletter in 45 Minutes’.
Aim for 1%
If 1% of the people reading this buy into my sales pitch in the above paragraph, this piece of content will have done its job. Produce one piece of content a day, and you’ll never go hungry (for business)! Aim for 1%.
