Authenticity in Creativity: Embrace Your Unique Path Without Shortcuts
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By John Wandzilak jr
⚡ Why Authenticity Isn’t Optional—It’s the Whole Damn Point
If you're an artist, author, or creator waiting for the world to catch on to your brilliance—congratulations. You're officially in the club of undiscovered geniuses, where the membership fee is paid in self-doubt, late-night revisions, and that 2 a.m. crisis fueled by caffeine and existential dread.
But here's the truth: authenticity is your ticket out of that club. Not faster algorithms. Not better hashtags. Not one more e-course.
Just you, being real.
Because authenticity isn’t just important—it’s everything.
🚧 The Shortcut Trap: Where Authenticity Dies
You’ve seen it.
“5 steps to 6 figures!”
“Make passive income in your sleep!”
“Quit your job in 30 days!”
And suddenly you're on a webinar with a guy in a rented Lambo telling you how he built his empire using ChatGPT, dropshipping, and vibes.
But the only thing he actually built was your doubt. Because those shortcuts? They're usually just loops—leading you back to where you started, minus your time and self-esteem.
What they don’t tell you is that authenticity isn’t scalable. It’s not a plug-and-play system.
It’s handcrafted.
Hard-earned.
And worth every moment of the slower route.
✏️ Authenticity Takes Practice
Being authentic isn’t just something you are. It’s something you practice—daily, awkwardly, and without applause.
That’s why I created this:
📓 Helping Myself Journal —a simple, hardcover notebook to help you stay grounded in your own truth before the noise swallows it whole.
It’s not about perfection.
It’s about authenticity on the page—your ideas, your voice, your messy in-progress greatness.
Because before you can be authentic out there, you need to be authentic in here.
🤖 When "Help" Is a Mask
I recently signed up for PodMatch, hoping to share my story, maybe connect with other creators. And while I did book a few shows, something felt off. The outreach was cookie-cutter. The energy? A little too rehearsed.
It reminded me of all the people and platforms that promise connection but are really after your audience, your clout, or your compliance.
Sometimes, the people promising to “help” are really just looking to harvest your uniqueness.
That’s why authenticity is your shield. If you’re rooted in it, you’ll spot the fakes faster. You’ll trust your gut louder.
You’ll say “no” sooner.
⚠️ Free Isn’t Always Friendly
We all love free stuff—free exposure, free features, free advice. But here’s what I’ve learned:
When it’s free, you are the product.
If a person or platform isn’t grounded in authenticity, then what they offer you probably comes with hidden costs: your time, your energy, or your voice.
That’s why I always ask: Does this opportunity align with my core? Or just my insecurity?
If the answer feels wobbly, I walk.
💡 The Power of Authenticity in the Unknown
You’re not irrelevant. You’re just early.
And being unknown doesn’t mean you’re not good—it just means you haven’t compromised your authenticity for convenience.
So what do you do?
You keep creating work that feels like you. You resist the urge to mold yourself into a brand that sells but doesn’t feel.
You use tools that support your truth instead of distorting it.
Like journaling. Like community. Like resting your brain from the scroll and letting your thoughts grow some roots.
That’s why this journal exists:
📓 Helping Myself is for checking in with you.
It’s not a planner. It’s not a system. It’s a mirror.
💬 Conversations that Reinforce Authenticity
Recently, I had the chance to talk with Dave Lennon on his podcast Lost in the Groove. What started as a movie nostalgia episode turned into a raw, meaningful conversation about life, creativity, and what it means to evolve with integrity.
We talked about how authenticity has changed in the age of content.
How storytelling can be both a mirror and a lighthouse.
And why holding onto your weird, your honesty, and your imperfections might be the only real rebellion left.
It wasn’t about going viral. It was about being real. And that’s what made it matter.
🧭 Final Word: Build Slow. Build Real.
You don’t need everyone to like you. You need the right people to find you.
So if you're stuck, overwhelmed, or wondering if you're wasting your time—you're not. You're just building something the world hasn't seen yet.
Authenticity doesn’t chase—it attracts.
It doesn’t rush—it roots.
It doesn’t sell out—it shows up.
So stay weird. Stay honest. Stay awkwardly you.
And when the doubt creeps in, grab a pen, a page, and this journal
and remind yourself who you’re really doing this for.
Not the algorithm.
Not the gatekeepers.
Just the part of you that still believes this matters.
Because it does.
And so do you.