How to Find Your REAL Voice
Dear Artists,
I promised myself years ago I would never show anyone this video.
It's from 15 years ago, and it might be the first video of myself I ever posted on YouTube. Several times, I reached out to YouTube and asked them to remove the video from their platform. (I lost the credentials to sign into this particular channel and was unable to remove it myself.)
Today, I am sharing this video with you.
In the video, I look and sound very different from the Darius you know today. My voice, my message, and my energy have evolved so much since I started posting online over 15 years ago. I’ve probably shared several hundred videos since this first one, and each time, I get closer and closer to my real voice.
I want to demonstrate that finding your REAL voice requires that you give your voice time in the REAL world. It’s also a process that requires practice and failure.
This brings us to the subject of our Deep Diver’s Class this week, which is all about finding your real voice:
We will dive into a conversation where I outline two clear ways in which authenticity can become a trap, if you’re not careful.
I will also share 6 clear ways in which you can support your inner and outer worlds in order to avoid these traps as you share your real voice with the world.
This class will have several actionable steps to help anyone who is committed to sharing their ideas, their vision, their creations, and their heart with the world.
After the 20 minute audio class, there will be a few short engagement assignments that will help you integrate the lessons into your life.
I hope you enjoy our class today.
Note: an important part of learning is engagement, and a key way to engage is by asking questions. If you have any questions about this or any of my other classes, I encourage you to click here for my "Ask Darius" link and ask away.
Additionally, if you are a part of the Deep Diver’s Membership, you also have access to me via text or voice note. You can ask me questions about this class—or really on anything related to creativity, confidence, self-expression, entrepreneurship, art, spirituality, and more!
This is a chance to receive direct mentorship and support from me. All you have to do is download the free Signal App and add “dariusbashar.11” as a contact.
6 Solutions To The Authenticity Trap
Hit play to delve into my greatest insights on how to find your REAL voice and avoid the “Authenticity Trap.”
And of course, here’s a short-form list you can use to follow along:
Make it impossible to lose.
Find your own Creative Risk philosophy and workflow.
Don’t make a bible; make a music album instead.
Find your community of “crazy ones.”
10x your self-compassion efforts.
Pay close attention to how you speak and feel about other creators.
“Failure is the information we need to get to where we're going.”
- Rick Ruben
THIS WEEK’S HOMEWORK
In his book, The Creative Act, Rick Rubin said, “Failure is the information we need to get to where we're going.” If what he says is true, then the goal of this homework assignment is to capture new information.
This week, I invite you to look for your creative edge:
A place in your life where you have a desire to express yourself more deeply
A place in which you feel a little bit nervous because it's new and uncharted territory
Once you find your creative edge, take a few “creative risks”—and give yourself permission to step one or two feet outside your comfort zone.
You don’t need to pressure yourself into doing something stressful or something that you don’t want to do. The point is to use the experience to get new information that will help you on your path to finding your real voice.
And most importantly, don’t worry about getting it right; just lovingly, safely, step into a new creative risk.
Here are a few examples:
Tell 3 people about a project you’re passionate about.
Meet 2 new humans this week and try to spark up a conversation.
Send an email to your community (or maybe just 5 friends) and tell them an honest story about your week.
Spend 15 minutes this week taking photos of yourself and actually look at the photos.
Hit the publish button on a piece of content you are working on.
Go back in time; look at an old video (or old photos) of yourself and notice how that feels.
Pair this experience with some exploratory journaling to supercharge your learnings.
I hope you enjoyed today’s Deep Diver’s Class. If you have any ideas for future classes, I’d love to hear them.
Big love,
D
Darius Bashar
HEARTshots™ Photographer + Founder
Artist, Creator, Meditator | ArtistMorning.com™
