The Slash / Conundrum
If you’re going to be a full-time podcaster, you can’t just be a podcaster. You’ve got to have something to talk about. And then you’ve got to be able to talk about it in an interesting way. You’ve got to be a student of storytelling and psychology, such that you’re able to capture and hold a listener’s attention.
The reality is that a full-time podcaster is an exceedingly rare thing. So, while all these responsibilities might seem excessive and demanding, if you want to play ball with the big boys, you’ve got to be able to hold your own.
Learning to become a songwriter is basically the same thing. You can’t just be a lyricist. You’ve to have something to say. You’ve got to be able to say it in a compelling way. And you’ve got to be able to put it all to a catchy hook that becomes an earworm.
You won’t be an effective songwriter if you’re not curious or passionate about something. It doesn’t matter whether it’s riding horses or woodworking, if you don’t engage in something meaningful and challenging, you won’t have anything worth writing about, and people won’t relate to your songs.
You’ve often heard me describe myself as an author / entrepreneur / musician. But if I were to break it down, I’m really a blogger / author / writer / ghostwriter / copywriter / podcaster / digital marketer / web developer / graphic designer / singer / songwriter / guitarist / composer / music producer / community builder / entrepreneur / presenter / public speaker / entertainer… Starting to get the idea?
The Slash Conundrum is that today, as a creative, it’s impractical to be anything other than a polymath. The people that we look up to – our heroes – necessarily had to become known for one thing. But now, you’re a commodity if you just speak well. There are 37 million YouTube channels, and polished speakers are a dime a dozen.
You may identify with Jennifer Lopez the artist. But when you think about it, Lopez is really a singer / dancer / artist / icon / model / actress / entertainer / public figure / entrepreneur, so on and so forth. See what I mean? The modern-day artist isn’t just an artist anymore.
I don’t know about the future, but the present belongs to the polymath. So, the slash, even if unwanted, is mostly inevitable, especially if you want to thrive as a creative or creator.
The game to play is creative alchemy. How will you fuse your passions, strengths, talents, interests, and experiences to develop a package (art, persona, brand) that stands out?
You can’t just be a podcaster. You’ve got to have something to talk about. You need to live and experience life. You need other interests. You need to have conversations. You need to take risks.
The conundrum, of course, is that all this can seem quite daunting.
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