Authentic content is not a thing
Everything that sees the light of day is a filtered version of reality.
20-second read
Authentic content does not exist. It’s time to move past the illusion that it does.
Everything that sees the light of day is a filtered version of reality—from slightly modified for optics or narrative to being entirely untrue. If content is being created—regardless of channel and type—it’s filtered through language, angle, positioning, intention, motive, design, bias, agenda, insecurity, ignorance, technology…
Even the most raw shit we see is done so with the motivation to garner attention. It’s postured. It’s positioned. It’s created with an outcome in mind.
This is all ok.
Acceptance of the fact will allow you to make things with more transparency and humanness instead of working so damn hard to create a false version of reality that’s nothing but a poor attempt at hiding what you’re really trying to do.
So stop manufacturing authenticity and start saying what you mean and asking for what you want. Whomever you’re attempting to reach will thank you for it.
(I’m well aware that I’ve used authentic and content in the same sentence many times in the past. I was certainly enamored with this idea at one point. Add this to my list of my evolving opinions.)