3 Books I’ve Read in 2021 That Positively Influenced My Contribution to the Creator Economy
How reading has both impacted my life as well as the quality of my content
Sometimes I feel the need to pinch myself, to make sure I am not dreaming.
The reality of living in a time, that no matter where you are stationed in the world, if you have access to technology, a teachable spirit, and a desire to create- you have a first-class ticket into the global creator economy.
The Influencer Marketing Hub speaks about the many vertical-specific work platforms ranging from podcasters, and writers to crypto and course creators. Ultimately, the creator Economy consists of people who specialize in their passion and give their dream job their best shot.
With so many creative opportunities available to us, in addition to the lengthy list of platforms in which we get to distribute our creations- focus does become somewhat of a challenge.
Not only is focus an area of concern, but with the pressure to be an opinion leader, or content creator, on every social platform, there is a risk of a drop in the overall quality of your content.
There are three books that I have read in 2021 that have challenged me to the core of my being. They have, in essence, spring-cleaned me on the inside resulting in a positive impact on how I contribute to the creator economy.
My heart is that these practical life lessons, which have shaped a large portion of the foundation from where I now create, will contribute a snippet of value that you may invite into your own creative process.
Beyond Order by Jordan Peterson
There are 12 rules in the book, each is brilliant, and challenging in its own right. However, there were two that were most applicable to my business as a creative.
Rule 7: Work as hard as you possibly can on at least one thing and see what happens.
I spoke about focus earlier on, and how, with so many opportunities available to us, it may seem as if our mind is sprinting on a mental treadmill. With a marathon of mental activity, you may even wonder whether you are able to pause and reflect, in an amongst balancing life or maintaining relationships with your social network.
Jordan speaks about the importance of clear, well-defined, and non-contradictory goals.
Clear goals limit and simplyfy the world, as well as reducing uncertainty, anxiety, shame, and the self-devouring physiological forces unleashed by stress.
My ultimate goal is to become a filmmaker.
Personally, this insight has guided me in outlining what I want, even though it is terrifying. I have found that when I am not specific about the end goal, my focus can become somewhat contradictory.
My road to creating films is pushing out content on YouTube. Where things can get a little muddy is that I fall into the trap of pushing out tips-and-tricks videos, teaching an element of filmmaking, and not challenge myself to ultimately create films.
I’m not too hard on myself in this regard, as I am learning different elements of filmmaking by just getting content out into the world. Writing this now actually makes me aware of just how much of a work-in-progress this is for me…
This chapter goes on to discuss the worst decision you could make, discipline and unity, as well as dogma and spirit. I’ve merely dusted this yummy cake with frosting, but even though I’ve still got to refine my actions, I’ve managed to make some great decisions that point me in the direction of my main goal.
Rule 8: Try to make one room in your home as beautiful as possible.
I’m sure you can relate, it’s often easier to create in a clean space. I’m not sure who said it, but I agree with the idea of messy-house-messy-mind.
However, Jordan hits the chapter hard by encouraging the reader that a clean room simply is not enough.
If you learn to make something in your life truly beautiful- even one thing- then you have established a relationship with beauty. From there you can begin to expand that relationship out into other elements of your life and the world. That is an invitation to the divine.
I have done my best to make my working space at home beautiful. But my home isn’t that big, so my office sits between the lounge and the dining room.
I stare straight into the wall, to avoid distractions from cushions that could be disorganized on the couch or a dying plant that may be on the dining room table.
However, I’ve found that working from a coworking office space 10 days a month to be a fresh kiss of beauty that not only impacts the quality of my work but also my mood.
I appreciate the art, the detail, the cleanliness. I feel motivated and inspired.
Jordan would probably challenge me that I still have a way to go in this area too, because he makes his opinion clear that art is not decoration, “That is the attitude of the naive beginner, of someone who will not let their terror of art allow them to progress and learn. Art is exploration.”
So, even though I’m not qualified for the Peterson stamp of approval in terms of where I am with art, I still love this point and I search for beauty because it has the most delightful effect on what I create.
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
For the longest time, this was my favorite book that I've never read.
However, after waiting months for it to arrive on the shores of my faraway country, I managed to read the pages of the most anticipated book of my life. Everyone I admire has raved about the book, and it’s one of those books that when someone talks about it, you get out your phone and take notes.
Believe me, it was worth the wait.
Perhaps you relate with the feeling of fear, doubt, and anxiety when moving from a space of being green in a specific industry to turning pro. You may have forces that seem to want to keep you stuck where you are instead of allowing you to progress.
My ultimate weakness was self-sabotage. I found myself wanting to be proved wrong or find reasons to feel sorry for myself — if I did this, I was able to add a barrier that stopped me from achieving positive momentum.
I’ll give myself some grace. I did have many challenges, as we all have had in some way or the other, growing up. But, this self-sabotage thing was getting in the way of me living a full life and this book spoke directly to that.
Steven uses a term called Resistance. He defines it, he breaks down the reason why it makes you an amateur, he gives practical insight into combatting it, and then he speaks about the higher realm of when you conquer Resistance.
Some of the pearls of wisdom I’ve taken from the book personally are:
- A professional does not take failure (or success) personally
- A professional distances herself from her instrument
- A professional self-validates
- A professional recognizes her limitations
- A professional acts in the face of fear
I could go on…
However, this book has given me the confidence to create a healthy boundary between what I do and who I am. I’ve been able to validate why I charge the rates I do for videography projects and I’ve been able to outline and action ideas that have in the past felt paralyzing.
I’ve had a fearless approach to a few projects and when they’ve done well, I was able to maintain an element of level-headedness and when things have failed, I’ve been able to take the learning and move on.
I’m already rereading the book again.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
On the odd chance that you haven’t already read the book, I would deem it an actionable guide to move you from a space of inaction to getting stuff done.
All behaviour is driven by the desire to solve a problem.
James explains the habit loop by walking you through the four stages of a habit:
- Cue
- Craving
- Response
- Reward
Clear speaks about how what we do, is a vote towards who we want to be. And, if we start a new habit, and skip it for more than one day- then we are now forming a different habit. He also introduces the concept of improving by as little as 1% a day.
It’s only now that I notice how big a deal James Clear is on the book lists, but I had honestly never heard of the guy before February 2021.
I came across him by listening to an even older podcast while I was editing away at a video. Clear spoke straight to my thinking hat and then went on to disrupt the rest of my entire day. I took notes and searched for more interviews on YouTube the featured the guy. This all ended up with me buying the book.
This is a no-nonsense kind of book for me.
When it comes to reading, I either read in large chunks over a course of a long weekend or, it takes me forever to finish a book. With this book, I started the habit of reading 2 minutes per day. This was strangely achievable.
I’d been wanting to start a screenplay that had been on my mind for years, and I introduced the challenge of working on it for 2 minutes a day as well. I cannot tell you how shocked I was at how much this worked. After a month of spending two minutes fleshing out the characters and the story, I was ready to start writing.
Again, I’m a work in progress- I’ve done all the background work, but there is a decent amount of Resistance that has got in the way of me starting the habit of actually writing. However, sharing this with you has now inspired me to start the habit of actually writing two minutes a day. That seems approachable.
This book has also impacted the skill behind my craft. I have made space to dedicate 2 minutes to educate myself on a specific videography skill. I’ve also exercised grace so if I feel over-loaded in learning a new skill, I’m allowed to pause after two minutes and revisit it the next day.
What seemed like big scary monsters are really not that bad if you approach them baby steps at a time.
Final Thoughts
I respect your time, so I’ve had to hold myself back from sharing even more ways in which these books have impacted my contribution to the creator economy. You’ve got the concise snippet.
However, if you need a roadmap to help you create an environment in which you feel most creative, an outline of how to focus, ideas on how to overcome self-sabotage, and tips for how to get stuff done- then these three books are my recommendations.
Books are a gentle way to hang out with those who are further on in the journies that are close to our hearts. Each three of the authors are unique in character and perspective- which makes reading feel like a dinner party with some pretty interesting guests.
I’ve loved the way these books have contributed to who I am, but also what I create. I hope you leaving sharing the same enthusiasm should you choose to read them too.
