Finding Your Creative Voice: 5 Tips for Self-Discovery
Have you met other people who sound just like everyone else? Their thoughts and ideas are familiar because they’re echoes of what others think and say. Maybe you don’t even have to look any further than the mirror. Do you sometimes feel like your creative voice simply replicates the voice of everybody around you? This is more normal than you think! It takes some practice and effort to find a distinct voice for your creativity. Thankfully, there are ways we can use self-discovery to develop it.
But first, why is having your own creative voice important?
When we have a distinct creative voice, not only do we stand out because we’re able to create meaningful and authentic works of art, no matter the medium: we’re also able to communicate our ideas effectively, which helps others understand us. The process of finding it also helps us gain a deeper understanding of ourselves: we explore our interests, values, and experiences, which allows us to tap into our creative potential. We end up uncovering and learning new talents and skills, and this leads to personal growth and development.
If you’re struggling with finding that unique voice that every creative person is looking for so they can express themselves in the best way possible, we hope this post helps you. Here are five self-discovery tips to help you out.
1. Start journaling.
You probably saw this one coming! There’s no better way to start your self-discovery journey than through journaling. It gives you complete freedom of expression without fear of judgment, and this gives you an unfiltered view of yourself. A journal also gives you the chance to step back and look at yourself from a distance; you can even do so through various perspectives. You can uncover patterns, behaviors, and pinpoint things that are unique only to you.
It’s also a great tool for brainstorming! Sometimes, it takes some digging around inside our heads to find ideas. Writing them down makes sorting through all the mental clutter easier so we can make sense of what we’re thinking of. What started out as disjointed creative pieces can become a whole new creative work which you can present in a cohesive, meaningful manner.
One additional thing that keeping a journal gives you is time to listen only to yourself. The world has become really loud and everyone has something to say, and it’s easy for our own creative voices to get drowned out by others. However, by consistently journaling, you’re able to preserve and strengthen your own creative voice.
2. Don’t be afraid to try new things.
How do you know if you’re good at something? You have to try it, of course! The same thing goes as we attempt to discover more about ourselves in search of our creative voice. So instead of doing the same things and keeping yourself within the boundaries of your comfort zone, step out and do something you haven’t done before. Here’s an example:
If you write free verse poetry, why not challenge yourself with a haiku? The creative constraint can help you become more inventive! How? You’ll have to find brand new ways to write and express yourself within the limits of a new format. As a result, the process will have enabled you to uncover new things about yourself, may it be a skill, passion, or way of writing.
3. It’s ok to take risks.
Aside from trying new things, finding your creative voice requires some risk-taking! Number two and three from this list are undoubtedly correlated because yes, you can still try new things while playing it safe. Self-discovery is all about putting yourself out there where it’s unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Otherwise, you’ll never know who you are and what you’re made of.
For example: join a drawing contest if you've never done so before. Submit a short story to a literary ‘zine. What’s the worst that can happen? If your drawing doesn’t win or your short story is rejected, take note of any feedback you’ll receive. Use it to make improvements and become better. Let these experiences give you the knowledge needed so that you can approach similar future challenges with confidence. This puts you to the test and allows you to discover just how powerful your creative voice can become.
4. Talk to other creatives.
This may sound counterintuitive to what we’re trying to achieve—finding your own creative voice amidst everyone else’s—but there’s a lot to be gained by interacting with your fellow creatives! If you engage with someone who has more experience than you do and, therefore, has a stronger creative voice, you can learn from them and find inspiration from their journey.
Meanwhile, talking to your peers who are still in the self-discovery stage like yourself will make you feel less lonely. There’s comfort in knowing you’re not the only one struggling or making progress. It can be really uplifting and motivating. You also have the option to collaborate, which provides you a view of how your creative voice differs from others. This will give you ideas on how to make it more specific, more distinct, and solely you.
5. Have faith in yourself!
The only way you can find your creative voice is by trusting yourself and the fact that you have something valuable to contribute to the world. More often than not, budding creatives are silenced by their insecurities: they think they don’t have anything to offer to others or that people won’t listen. That everything’s been done before. This couldn’t be further from the truth!
There’s always a group of like-minded people who gravitate towards similar things. Find who those people are! Listen to them so that they will listen to you. Collaborate, share ideas, and lift each other up. As for recycled themes, concepts, and ideas, put your own spin on them! Use your creative voice to make it your own. This is the beauty of creativity: we get to see or express the same things in different ways, allowing it to resonate and reach a wider audience.
It’s time to start looking for your creative voice!
The first step is to get started! Don’t let anything hold you back and be willing to go beyond the borders of your comfort zone. But most of all, don’t forget to listen to yourself. It’s so easy to get lost in the noise of everyday life and the voices of other people—always take a moment to pause and focus on your own creative voice.
Have you found your creative voice yet? If yes, what was the journey like? If not, how would you go about looking for your own? Share what you think in the comments below!
