How to Create and Write With Soul (Then Watch the Metrics Follow)
The Soulpreneur Series Free Issue No. 20
News Flash: Our souls don’t care how many followers we have.
It doesn’t care about likes, shares, or engagement rates.
Your soul has no interest in metrics.
Two+ Years of Building & Writing
Over the past two years, I’ve been creating and writing — posting nearly daily.
I’ve seen aspiring (and eager) creators come and go. (Mainly Go)
I’ve watched others who started near the same time as I did, hit it bigger (on metrics) and go further (on $), rack up more subscribers, and land bigger payouts.
Good on ‘em.
And I’ve seen countless aspiring creators and writers fizzle out. Disappear.
Survivor Bias is alive and well in “The Creator Economy.”
The success stories get the spotlight, but few talk about the creators who vanish. Most certainly, those who vanish, are not sharing their stories and glorious headlines.
You know, the ones who got frustrated, burned out, fizzled out, chased trends, bounced around platforms, then tried to “monetize” and build “lead magnets” too fast, and so on, and so on.
Be wary of what you read about in the “Digital Creator Economy”
Be very wary of unreasonable expectations. Be even more wary when your intuition shouts “This seems a little too easy to be true!”
Be very very wary of being attached to expectations — especially those recommended by others and include either “should” or “must”.
Check your expectations regularly. Often, they will need to be slower.
A Slow, Steady, Winding Path
I’ve made a deep commitment to limit chasing trends,
to not slip from my intentions
to not slide from my integrity
I try to remain rooted in what I want to be doing, being, writing, and creating for myself, for my joy and contentment (first).
Being, writing, creating for others (second).
That… and… well, sometimes, through my own painful and frustrating processes can sometimes (maybe often) mean things are “slower”.
But then, “slow” exists in relationship to what is “fast”
And… well… fast isn’t always ‘good’ or ‘better’.
A hummingbird on average lives about 3 to 5 years — an eagle lives 20-40 years.
So then maybe it’s not ‘slow’ per se — But purpose-full. Intentional. Intention-full.
And, in that, more real. More authentic. Genuine. Meaning-full.
Maybe importantly — it’s something sustainable?
Make Your Own Rules
A couple of weekends ago, I came across successful creator Andrew Huang’s new book. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it — love the title!
Funnily enough, Make Your Own Rules appeared for me at just the right time.
It’s a fantastic reminder, motivator, and partial blueprint.
Huang didn’t — and doesn’t — follow formulas.
Didn’t and Doesn’t chase the crowd.
And, like me, he’s hearing impaired — and, yet, his specialty is music. 🤯
He has created, forged, and struggled on his own path— one built on fun, experimentation, and trusting his instincts (and well outside the ‘norm’).
There are parts of the book wonderfully laid out and shared in what he calls his 'seasons of development’ and growth.
He started creating and sharing music in the 2000s (pre 'smartphone'). His start as a digital creator was making custom songs and music for people. He advertised on eBay.
Over many years he experimented, iterated, and continued to evolve. In the early years, he was largely focussed on providing services (e.g. making music).
Now Huang has over 2 million subscribers on YouTube and employs staff to keep things going.
I highly recommend the book to anyone looking to build, create, and be real. And read a real story about a real person steadily staying real.
Huang’s book reminded me of why I’ve stayed the course. Of slow, steady and intentional.
Why I’ve resisted the pull of chasing trends or focusing on vanity metrics or rushing to “niche down” or chasing the ‘next’ platform.
It’s reminded and reinstilled in me that a slower process, intentional slowness, is not just OK—it’s necessary (at least for me — and clearly for others too).
The Joy of Making Your Own Rules
Creativity isn’t about following someone else’s steps.
It’s not about fitting yourself into a mould.
It’s breaking free from what others expect and creating something uniquely yours.
OR, at least, engage in some deeper thinking about your own thinking. Huang captures this beautifully.
In his work, he’s all about the strange, quirky, and fun.
(ChatGPT would say he’s “embracing” it…)
He’s allowed himself to create outside the lines, to play with form and function —
Not conforming and instead following his instincts, intuition, and pushing boundaries.
And this, he shares, is where his best work happened and continues to unfold.
It reminds me of some of my other favourite digital creators Category Pirates 🏴☠️ and Christopher Lochhead🏴☠️ 👇
“Everything is the way that it is. Because somebody legendary changed the way that it was.”
Reflect for a moment:
Have you ever compromised your creativity to meet expectations or trends?
What would it feel like to create just for yourself, without constantly stressing about the outcome? (Maybe you already are?)
Creative Paths aren’t Straight
One of the most powerful ideas I found in Huang’s Make Your Own Rules is the notion: creative ideas and work don’t follow straight paths.
Sometimes, the best work comes from allowing yourself to be fluid, flexible, and open.
Huang suggests, it’s about living in the space between structure and improvisation.
It’s about creating for yourself, while still being open to others.
It’s about letting inspiration find you (or at least your intuition and soul), instead of chasing it.
This fluidity is key in my own work as a Soulpreneur.
Psychotherapist and author James Hollis frequently says:
What is your Soul trying to express through you? Listen for it.
I’ve learned building and creating something meaningful (meaning-full) isn’t about sticking to rigid plans or processes.
It’s not about following someone else’s blueprint or ‘best practice’.
If that was the case, I’d still be in a stable 6-figure salary role (while my soul languished and shrivelled further)
One’s own path, I find, is about knowing when to let go, when to shift gears, and when to take unconventional routes.
It’s about trusting the work you create will resonate — if it comes from a real place.
Often the resonating may just lie with you — And that is just fine!
If you’re looking for the resonating to take form in numbers, subscribers, likes, and re-posts… well… that’s the fast path to burnout (and probably boredom).
What does it mean to sustain creativity?
For me, it means appreciating your work will change.
Processes will evolve — and sometimes devolve.
What worked yesterday might not work tomorrow, let alone in an hour.
And that’s okay too.
Andrew Huang’s creator journey is a testament to this.He learned to create by pushing, or maybe even without boundaries.
To experiment constantly, try new things relentlessly without worrying about whether they fit into a pre-made box.
He seems to have found success in a space of play, in a place where rules are not the first consideration. A place of “why not?”
My journey with Box Cutter Co. engages a similar approach.
The work isn’t about sticking to a formula; one way of doing things.
It’s far more about staying curious, remaining playful, and letting the process unfold.
Many, many years of playing many sports have taught me that trying to “force” something — force a new skill — rarely produces satisfactory results.
(And sometimes instigates disastrous results)
For example, learning to carve an alpine ski is a balancing act of speed, finesse, technique, gravity, G-forces, equipment, terrain, and trust.
Similar with ‘powder skiing’.
Our kids have also been perfecting this as they learn to backflip on skis and take on more and more challenging terrain.
When you create from that place—when you sustain the joy and trust your own process—that’s when some magic can happen.
Yet, of course, not lost here… to sustain a ‘creator’ business, a ‘writing’ business — still means one must run a business.
The Numbers Will Follow (but the Soul Leads)
Here’s a few things I’ve discovered:
Your soul doesn’t care about metrics, but the world around you often does.
So how to balance the two?
For me:
Create first for (and from) soul.
Let yourself play, experiment, and push boundaries. Ask “why?” relentlessly.
Work to create what feels right, what feels true to you.
Trust the numbers, the followers, and the ‘success’ will come—not because you chased them, but because you stayed on your own path.
Try to ensure you have realistic and critically engaged ideas of what ‘success’ looks like for YOU (NOT anyone else).
As Andrew Huang writes in Make Your Own Rules, success isn’t found by following someone else’s script.
It’s often found when you stop trying to fit in and start creating what feels authentic to you.
(Sounds simple, but it can be pretty damn tough to find and remain on that path).
With Box Cutter Co. — I’ve pursued business on that very principle.
A business fuelled by creativity, joy, and freedom to break the “rules” — or at least get outside the norms.
… mixed with a good dose of periodic frustration, lamenting, wondering, head-shaking —
…and then simply getting up again and getting the next bit of work done.
And the numbers?
They are following. Bit by bit. But that’s not why I did it, why I do it.
Plus it depends on which ones you want to track.
Revenues-wise — across our dual Soulpreneur household our incomes are well beyond what we ever made as employees.
(Better yet: I see no toxic bureaucracies in my rear-view mirror)
Upcoming 👉 ‘Behind the Scenes’ pieces will break some of these down.
“Behind the Scenes”: A Teaser for What’s Coming
I’m working on something new.
For paying subscribers, I’m putting together a “Behind the Scenes of Box Cutter Co.” document and series.
I’ve started fielding more questions on my processes, where income comes from, and otherwise.
I’ll share more about how I approach my writing, creative strategy — and the slower —
…more intentional processes I engage in regularly.
I will offer some insights into how I’ve built Box Cutter Co. from scratch and stayed aligned with my vision (struggles and successes).
Including… when the temptation to chase faster growth, more followers, and more reads was strong.
If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes or how someone tries to stay aligned with creative purpose and intention — while building a sustainable business, keep an eye out for that exclusive content—it’s coming…
The graphic opening this issue is part of it.
Some parting reflective questions:
What would change in your creative work if you stopped seeking validation and started trusting your instincts more?
How might your process and satisfaction shift if you focused on creating for the joy and meaning it brings you, rather than external rewards?
What truth or untold story is your soul longing to express through your work, and what might happen if you let it come through more freely?
If you’re up for it, leave a comment or post a note answering one (or all) of these.
I recently shifted the paid subscriber to $5 per month — and am very thankful some generous folks have remained on as Founding subscribers. 🙌
The next issue of Box Cutter Co. will be out shortly. Please drop a ♥️, re-post, or otherwise. My soul may not care, but I’ll be thankful. : )
This really resonated, I always thought that I wouldn't become a slave to the algorithm, but it's such a slippery slope!
Thank you for this! I feel universe answered my nervous question about finding my own niche with your post.
You inspired me to not let all the shiny things and virality push me onto someone else's path.