?? The Power of Intuitive Creativity with Jay Acunzo

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Stories are like songs. Except, each writer gets to create their own music.??

The best songs make the listener feel like it’s written solely for them.?

This is the art of creating work that ‘resonates’.

My friend, podcaster, and speaker, Jay Acunzo has mastered the art of building resonance.?

And now he teaches it to marketers and creators.

So I shot him a DM to answer a few questions on intuitive creativity.?

This newsletter is the result of that conversation.

JH: You put a lot of emphasis on 'intuitive creativity' — how can someone begin practicing that and why should they??

JA: Practice. There is no other way.?

There's just something bizarre to me about the way creativity is portrayed, especially in the business world. It's a "gift, " the Muse visiting, or a lightning strike moment. But it's not. It's just repetition plus reinvention over time.

That means if you value and plan to prioritize your creative abilities, you need practice.

For me, that meant writing a blog on the side of my job since 2008, roughly once per week at minimum. I've since added a podcast to that practice. The practice is something I control -- no other stakeholder or subscriber.?

The process for beginning is simple:?

• Pick a medium that seems most fun to you (again, for me, it's always been writing).?
• Identify something you can't stand about an industry, a topic, or the status quo and wish was different or better understood.?
• Let that frustration be like lighting your match.?Use it to light your curiosity. That's the kindling.?

Why is it broken? Why is it this way? What can history teach us? Science? Stories from others? Stories from your own life? Launch a journey to investigate, and let curiosity lead the way.

Between your own practice and that ever-persistent curiosity, you'll be well on your way to becoming a masterful creator.

JH: Your book 'Break the Wheel' is all about finding what works best for each one. What's one piece of advice you can give to the readers so they can start uncovering that for themselves??

Best practices aren't really the "best" practices. They're the average practice. They're just possibilities previously vetted by others - or sometimes, a past version of you.?

In my research for the book, I examined over 100 stories of independent creators and corporate teams who seemingly did the unthinkable by breaking from best practices to trust their own intuition.?

What they did, however, was strategic or even safe: they looked at their firsthand realities.

They investigated three variables present in their situations that no best practices or expert could have possibly taken into account when arriving at their rules.

A) The first is you. What is your aspiration? Anchor to that. Allow yourself to make decisions through that.?

The brand Death Wish Coffee relies on a type of coffee bean most purists frown on, but in their context, it makes total sense.?

Why? Because the founder aspired to create the world's strongest coffee, and the bean they selected allows for more caffeine per cup than the average approach.

B) The second variable is your audience. You need a first-principle insight. Ask "why?" enough to reach that first principle.

In the case of Death Wish, they realized that their early customers were not artisanally-driven. They were truck drivers, construction workers, and other hard-charging, mainly blue-collar workers who reached for coffee like an energy drink, not an experience. Great.

They don't just want strong coffee or more caffeine or more energy. They want the ability to work insanely hard – perhaps even to "death." So the company created a brand that seemingly rebels against the norm in coffee.?

C) Finally, the third variable in your context that the "best practice" doesn't consider is your resources. What are your constraints??

So often, we forget the initial goal is personal momentum and audience resonance. Instead, we seek personal brilliance ("the work has to be amazing!") or audience reach ("we need a ton to know about this or buy!").?

Not so. The first hurdles are simply your own ability to move forward to learn and finding an initial, passionate response as the signal that it's worth proceeding.

JH: What's something you'll tell every creator to toss out the window and why??

(Apart from 'common growth hacks')

Anchoring your identity entirely to a social network or third-party platform.?

Don't build on rented land. RENT on rented land. Build on land you actually own. You need both.?

But social media is like alcohol for your house party. Sip responsibly. Don't get dependent on it.?

And ensure your house doesn't become the club. Because you don't run the joint, don't control the rules, and can always get kicked out, never to return.

I don't know how many times I see a creator use a profile link on a social network that simply directs you to OTHER social networks. The object is to become free of third-party control, instead of poorly paid or even free servants to these giant tech companies.

This is what it means to think like an entrepreneur instead of an influencer.

–

Jay Acunzo is the author of the book Break the Wheel and hosts the award-winning podcast Unthinkable. His stories have been heard by over a million people worldwide.?

Go check out his incredible work.?

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Stay outta’ trouble and catch you next week.

??? Joel

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