Instagram targeted me with a Blinkist app advertisement, and I couldn't be happier. Perfect for curious people who love to learn, and busy people who don't have time to read. Blinkist offers key insights from top nonfiction in a made-for-mobile format. Ironically I was also looking for a constructive replacement for Instagram. In short, the app is cliff notes for professional books around finance, creativity, productivity, etc. Side note, I'm not getting paid to write this. I highly encourage the download and trial subscription if you want to maximize your phone time between work, life, screaming kids, etc.

I just finished "An Audience of One: Reclaiming Creativity for Its Own Sake" by Robin Dellabough and Srinivas Rao, and I am enthralled. I have a few creative projects in flight. The book has reinvigorated my urge to complete and, more importantly, refocus on my audience. Great read if you are a creative that have been heads down for the last 5-10 years in a constant state of the deliverable output. This will breathe new life into your perspective. And if you are new to creative endeavours, just take action and stop thinking about all the road blocks. Fail early and often. 

Reclaiming creativity for its own sake is a practical manual for creative people, aimed at boosting self-esteem and creating success. Rao flips traditional notions of what makes a thriving creative and emphasizes the importance of creating for yourself first, before seeking external validation. As a result, creative people tend to find their own success more quickly than others.

By creating for yourself first, external success will follow. This principle is similar to the bestselling book Flow. It's important to find a personal meaning in your work and decide what it will mean to you. Only then will you know what your work is about and how to market it. Taking this approach will allow you to produce more work, have a more satisfying creative life outside of your workday, and experience a greater sense of community.

When creative individuals focus too much on the opinions of others, their work is not enriched by feedback. Instead, they lose sight of why they started the creative process in the first place. This can result in work that lacks authenticity. In contrast, the most rewarding reward comes from the chance to continue creating. The ultimate reward of creativity is the chance to keep creating, even after achieving success. 

The biggest problem with creating for an audience is knowing who you want to reach. You must know yourself and what you stand for before you can reach out to other people. If you don't know who you're writing for, it will be impossible to find an audience. Until you can identify who your audience is, you'll never have the chance to build an audience. Your audience is the people who appreciate what you do. Whether that's a specific niche, or a broad, eclectic collection of people, an audience can be defined. He also explores the pitfalls of pursuing creative endeavors without a target audience.

Another benefit of creating for your own pleasure is the feeling of fulfillment that comes with being appreciated. When you have an audience, you can see where you need improvement. It's easier to continue if it's received well. Also, if your work is successful, it can help you monetize your efforts. But you must remember that creating for your own pleasure is more satisfying and will lead to a wider audience. That way, you'll have a wider community to share it with.

Hurry up and go buy this book! It will be on my shelf for years to come. 

Podcast episode hosted by Rao. In this episode of the Unmistakable Creativity hour, we take a look at how artificial intelligence and automation will impact the future of work. We explore how these technologies will change the way we do business, and how they will affect the workforce. We also discuss the benefits of these technologies and how they can help improve productivity and efficiency.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7tH3DNnuSu0Ufdnhac1FhO