Hello Beautiful Souls,
I have returned with a new blog post. This topic is centred around authenticity, and what that truly means in a creative sense. However it can be applied in a general sense as well.
In the creative industry it is very rare to find authentic creatives. I think that is due to the fact that, many people in the industry have become very good actors in masking their true identity from the world. Most people curate a relatable narrative that sells a pretence of what the truth is. They are the masked creatives. However I think it’s important to be an unmasked creative. A person who presents themselves in a flawed, unfinished way.
Let’s strip this back for a moment, let’s go back to the birth of a person. We come into this world, pure, untouched and authentic in the most real sense. Now the world we are surrounded by, the people who guide us, the environment that shapes us, can play a big part in whether we maintain that authentic self.
I can say that everyone in their life has been either forced to wear a mask, or created a mask where we hide our true identity from the world. Like everyone else, I have fell victim to this many times.
We were instructed to wear masks for a variety of reasons. As this is my post, I’ll share my experiences. I’m a very deep and emotionally expressive person. Through my recent work you can see that . When I was younger I was someone who processed my feelings with an outpour. However I was told to suppress that otherwise I wouldn’t survive the world. I was told emotional vulnerability is a weakness. So that was one of the first mask’s I wore. As I continued to live my life I was told more things I shouldn’t do, so more layers were added. Slowly but surely I was less authentic and more “accepted” by society. That’s the problem with masks. We become so similar to everyone else, we think individuality is only for a selective community of people. When in reality individuality is what we all carry within us.
I guess that’s why in my late teens and majority of my 20s, I experienced a lot of imposter syndrome and dealt with identity crisis over and over again. The reason being, this masked self was not me. The reflection of my soul was not a reflection of this 3D tangible body I was living in.
I don’t know when it began, but I wanted to live my life authentically. I wanted to be able to free the layers of judgement that was projected on me. I wanted to free myself from the shackles of restraint, and live a life of an explorer not a prisoner.
The unmasking started, the layers began to fall, and then there was this push and pull. I had questions of “Who am I?”, “Who do I want to be?”, “Who will I become?”. The simple answers to these questions are; someone who is authentic to themselves, driven by the essence of who they have always been. That pure, real soul essence that was birthed into this world to learn and grow; not be confined and restricted.
As a creative, being authentic is very important. People want to connect with you and the art you create. If it doesn’t connect with you as a creative, then maybe you shouldn’t put it out. That work in reality is inauthentic and deceptive, so do not be surprised if later in life you attract similar people.
Energy is so important because the intention you pour into the world will not only represent you, but it will bring forth the people who want to hear your message. You need to believe in what you create and pour your whole heart into it. Risk it all, no matter the controversy and the critique thrown your way. Your belief in your creation is your identity. If you see the true worth in what you create, so will the right people.
It’s easy to be a trendsetter. That trending moment of fame but, the thing about trends are they don’t last. To be honest, majority of trends are forgotten. So you become as memorable as the worth of how you see yourself. So if see yourself as a trend, with time, you will become forgettable.
I would like to be a classic. A timeless piece of beauty that is remembered far beyond my existence. Authentic work is something that leaves a legacy far greater than human life. People believe in a real story that carries a weight of truth. See yourself as art itself. Admired by many, understood by few.
Many creatives want to be the moment, be someone who is known right now. I want to be someone that is a hidden gem. Treasured forever due to the value it holds. I want my work to take you back to a place of nostalgia, feeling or emotion. Something that is worth remembering. Something you connect with on a deeper level, that allows you to dream.
So through peeling the layers of the mask’s away. I see my true authentic self. It will be an interesting journey, when travelling the road of authenticity. But it will be a road worth travelling. The truth always sparkles, but mask’s hide the lies created.
I hope you are able to join this path to who you truly are and remember this real, raw, unseen self is beautiful and worth existing in this life.
Be who you want to be, even if people don’t accept you. Embrace your weird and showcase it to the world. Tell this world that, you are here to explore this life and be who you want to be! Stand in your power.
Do not succumb to the judgement of acceptance. Be as real as the beauty that has always existed throughout this world.
Love Sonam 🩷
My new book Universe of Light: The Ethereal Realm is available, Shop link here - https://amzn.eu/d/cFUoDFx