This post is not for you!

Who is it for?

Have you ever found yourself terrified of creating something or sharing something because you were afraid that someone might not like it?

Too often we try to create something that's for "everyone", something everybody likes. We are afraid of criticism, that what we are creating might not land well.

If you're not a professional, the only person that needs to like your work is you. But if you are a professional, the circle needs to get bigger, but not too big.

When we create something for "everyone", it inevitably becomes watered down as we're trying to cater to too large an audience.

The alternative is to decide who your work is for.

Who is your audience? Who are you trying to serve?

When I talk to my clients and help them clarify their vision and define the type of impact they want their work to have I often get the answer: "Everyone!" This comes from a good place but makes life difficult. We then try to draw smaller circles together, identifying a smaller circle. This is extremely helpful when it comes to deciding where to invest one's energy and time. If we focus on "everyone", "everything" might be relevant...

Deciding who it's for does two things: it takes off the pressure, and it adds pressure at the same time.

It takes the pressure off because not everyone needs to like it anymore, and it increases the pressure because you're on the hook. You say "Here, I made this for you, what do you think?" and you'll learn in time whether it lands or not.

I'm still grappling with the question of who my specific audience is. Perhaps it's still a bit early to tell, so for now I focus on authenticity. I create (content) that I find important, hoping that it will land in you. As time passes I hope to find out who the "others like you" are.

I'm excited to get to know you!

Until then: "This is for you! If you like it."