Your Creative Voice Is More Powerful Than Any Algorithm | Ep. 73

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Have you ever felt torn between creating what you love and what gets engagement? The pressure for relevance in today's digital world forces many creators into an uncomfortable choice between authenticity and popularity.

This episode delves into this creative tension through the inspiring story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the pioneering musician who played electric guitar and blended gospel with blues long before Elvis or Chuck Berry became household names. Her legacy reminds us that true artistry comes from authenticity rather than trend-chasing. We explore the fundamental difference between creating art (which heals us and tells our stories) and producing content (which often serves primarily to please algorithms and audiences). When we create from this authentic place, we naturally attract the people who genuinely connect with our work.

Whether you're a writer, entrepreneur, musician, or anyone navigating the creative landscape, this conversation offers perspective on finding that crucial balance: being strategic without selling yourself short.

Your unique voice matters. Share your thoughts on maintaining creative integrity in a review, and if these ideas resonated with you, please tell a friend about the show!

Theme Music:
She No Dull Beat by Nana Kwabena
Festivities in Belize by RAGE Productions

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Episode Transcript

Aliya Cheyanne (00:00):
Welcome back to the show.
Thank you so much for beinghere.
I'm so happy that you're tuningin and, if you haven't already,
be sure to rate and review theshow and share this podcast with

(00:23):
a friend.
Since it's Women's HistoryMonth, I want to highlight an
incredible Black woman youshould know about.
Long before rock stars likeElvis and Chuck Berry became
famous, sister Rosetta Tharpewas doing it first.
Without trying to fit into themold, sister Rosetta Tharpe was
a pioneer in music, blendinggospel, blues and electric

(00:46):
guitar in ways that weren'tmainstream at the time.
She created from a place ofauthenticity even when the
industry wasn't ready for her.
Her story reminds us that realartistry isn't about chasing
trends.
It's about staying true to yourcreative voice.
Listen to Didn't it Rain or UpAbove my Head and reflect on

(01:08):
originality versus popularity.
Listen to Didn't it Rain or UpAbove my Head and reflect on
originality versus popularity.
In your own work.
There's often so much tensionbetween making what you love and
what gets engagement.
There's a lot of pressure to berelevant online.

(01:30):
Do you hop onto the TikToktrend so that you can get all of
the likes and maybe somefollows and have the chance at a
viral moment, or do you postthe thing that feels authentic
to you and what you want to doand how you want to show up
online.
I think there's a differencebetween art and content and,

(01:52):
while there might be someoverlap, at its core, the art
that creatives create are oftenfor ourselves.
They're ways for us to tell astory, they're ways for us to
heal, and if, by chance, thepublic has the opportunity to
consume it and gain somethingfrom it, then that's the bonus.

(02:14):
Content, on the other hand,rarely feels like something we
create for ourselves.
It's usually something wecreate for others to enjoy,
enjoy what others like, and itcan sometimes get us away from
the things that we gravitatetowards and the things that we
like.
There's a difference betweencreating for yourself and

(02:36):
creating for the algorithm thenefarious algorithm, the
all-seeing and all-knowingalgorithm.
Creating for yourself is thedifference between sharing your
truth and your light and whatyou know and expressing it to
the world so that others who arealigned might find you, so that

(02:59):
others who are aligned mightfind you, versus creating for
the sake of creating for theattention of followers, or the
attention of followers andpeople who may support you for a
particular thing, even if it'screative work that's not fully
aligned with who you are.

(03:19):
So you have to find the middleground.
You have to be strategicwithout cheating yourself and
without selling yourself out.
You have to stay true to yourcreative values.
I think about that a lot withthis podcast.
When the show first started, itcovered a lot of current events

(03:43):
and pop culture topics, whichwere okay and pop culture topics
, which were okay.
But over time I ultimately hadthe vision that I wanted to talk
about more evergreen topics,topics that don't just surface
one day and by the end of theweek everyone's on to the next
thing.
Topics that people can comeback to over and over again

(04:06):
because they align deeply withour core as human beings.
I often say that the nature ofthe human spirit is creative.
We are creative beings who areconstantly searching for their
purpose.
What better way to learn, togrow, to evolve, to become my
own woman, than to sit down withincredible people who are on

(04:31):
the same path, who are chartingtheir own paths and who are
inspiring others to do the same?
This podcast became an outletfor me to stay true to my
creative values, my curiosity,my willingness and my ability to
learn, my desire to connectwith others, my desire to teach

(04:53):
and be taught, my desire toeducate and be educated.
Staying true to my creativevalues might be a slow burn, but
when I look back at what I'vecreated it feels so much more
rewarding, because I know thoseof you who are here are here
because you find value in thiswork, because you find value in

(05:15):
this conversation, because weare aligned in some way, shape
or form.
And while it might be fun everynow and then to hop in a trend
as a form of micro creativity oras a form of play or as a form
of joy, it's important that wedon't become that.

(05:35):
It's important that we staytrue to our creative values and
the vision that we are alluniquely placed with.
That we are all uniquely placedwith to hold, to realize, to do
the thing that no one else cando, because only we can, only
you listening can, or only I can.

(05:58):
Staying true to your creativevalues ensures that your people
will find you because, after all, that is the purpose of social
media.
So I ask you reflect on a timewhere you felt torn between
trends and authenticity.
What did you ultimately decide?

(06:19):
How have you stayed true toyour creative values?
Let me know in a review or atext to the show.
Thanks for tuning in to anothershort but sweet episode.
If this episode resonated withyou, please be sure to tell a
friend.
To tell a friend and to rateand review the show on your

(06:42):
favorite podcast platform,wherever you're listening to
this episode right now.
Thank you for lending me yourtime, your energy and your ears,
and I appreciate you for beinghere.
Have a great rest of your dayor night and I'll catch you on
the next episode.
Bye.