A Creativity Tip from Taylor Swift

I have a daily practice of learning for 20 minutes every day. I listen to podcasts, read books about entrepreneurship, participate in a coaching call or listen to interviews with artists and musicians. One of my favorite writers (and I do think of her as a writer as well as a musician, boss, and all-around inspiring person) is Taylor Swift.

In an interview she did with Zane Lowe after being awarded Songwriter of the Year by Apple Music, Taylor talked about how there’s an expectation for popular artists to create certain kinds of songs. For example, on every album she “should” have a song for radio, a song that people can sing-shout in a stadium at a concert, and a song for people who want to get into their feelings. And that expectation creates a kind of checklist for her creativity.

I see the same thing with my Platform Builders, who are in the process of building an audience and presence online. Many have a checklist for what they “should” do that actually holds them back from making their own choices and being creative.

However -

My established and successful entrepreneurs who have already built a platform do the exact opposite. These entrepreneurs have taken the same approach Taylor did when she created Evermore and Folklore, two of her most creative and critically acclaimed albums.