While watching an episode of Night Sky, I came across Ralph Waldo Emerson's concept of "creative levelling".

Emerson believed that we should strive for authenticity and listen to our inner voice instead of conforming to norms set by others.

This got me thinking, "How often do we shun our inner voice, creativity and beliefs in trying to fit in with a larger group?"

Every day, I see an endless stream of YouTube videos and social media posts that are simply based on a template that went viral. We have stopped leveraging our creativity and distinct perspectives and instead copy what seems to work best at the moment.

Breakthroughs happen when you tap into your authentic self, grow out of the standard principles, and create without inhibition. I've recently been enjoying videos, blog posts, and books that are not cookie-cutter content but instead exhibit this drive to be authentic.

But authenticity aside, staying true to your inner voice, your natural self, instead of trying to fit in, has its perks. It minimises regret. I've written about this in previous Firesides post, 7 and 70.

Question for you:

How many times have you resisted expressing your creative ideas and takes, thinking they might not fit in with other people or to save yourself from embarrassment?

Return to that rejected pile of ideas, dreams and thoughts and see if you can salvage any.

Don't let your creative self die conforming to standards set by the world. Dare to follow your path, your style and your inner voice.

Finally, I've started editing chapters of my book, Kokoro, and it's been a rollercoaster experience.

Some chapters were a breeze to edit because I got my stories and emotions right the first time I wrote them, while others tested my patience. Hours after starting, I was still tweaking and rewriting sentences to convey the essence of each topic vividly.

Nevertheless, it's been a satisfying experience this week, and I'm excited to craft these chapters to the best of my ability for you.

Also, while I'm editing chapters, my wife has been working on illustrations for chapters where imagery will help liven up the story.

Here's a sample illustration from my ongoing testing:

If you didn't get a chance to pre-order last week or are new here, you can still pre-order my upcoming ebook at an early-supporter price of $20 while this promotion lasts.

Get your ebook copy here → Pre-order now.

Now, let's move on to the rest of this newsletter issue: