Creating is an act of courage.
You reveal a piece of your soul, unsure if it will
resonate.
My friend Justin understands this vulnerable path intimately.
Justin and I met on Clubhouse where I was hosting conversations and he was building his now massive following (10M on TikTok, 6M on YouTube).
We've stayed close friends, often trading insights. He offers guidance on content strategy while I keep him updated on the latest AI advancements and how they can enhance his work.
In every chat, his number one piece of advice has been: Embrace vulnerability.
He isn't talking about full disclosure. Nor about
oversharing intimate details. He means the courage to create - to put a piece of yourself out there, not knowing how it will land. And to do it again and again.
The
vulnerability that comes with taking risks, especially during professional transitions when your identity and ego are wrapped up in other people’s perceptions and expectations.
To be vulnerable to judgment. From others yes, but especially from your harshest critic, yourself.
Justin admits this soul-exposing feeling was
incredibly difficult for him when starting out.
He would pour his heart into a video he believed in, but when the applaud wasn’t as loud as he’d hoped, the silence was
piercing.
But leaning into the discomfort of experimenting ultimately led him to his signature style and loyal following.
Justin's wisdom hit home, more than it ever has.
Over the past few years, I’ve pushed myself to open up more too - on Clubhouse where I hosted large virtual events weekly, and now through writing on LinkedIn as I share my insights about generative AI.
This has started to feel less scary. But I’ve wanted to expand into short videos. And that feels tremendously uncomfortable.
Each time, I find stress about looking awkward on camera, stumbling over complex topics in 90 seconds, or how long it’ll take me to edit the video, since I’m not a pro.
Another friend from the corporate world confessed she was anxious to start a TikTok channel, fearing judgment from her professional circle.
I’ve done it a few times now(the latest video included 👇as the 1st Linkedin post) and it gets a bit easier. But each round still surfaces fears about exposure and judgment.