Finding Your Unique Creative Voice

Still searching for your voice? Read this!

In a world flooded with content, the pressure to be original can feel paralyzing.

We wait for clarity, for confidence, for a “unique voice” to show up before we begin.

But what if the secret isn’t to find the perfect voice? But to start speaking anyway?

I’ve been writing here on Substack for almost nine months. You’d think by now I would’ve found my creative voice.

But four publications in, I’m still searching.

And maybe that’s the point.

Maybe the search is the destination.

What if your creative voice isn’t about being flawless or standing out immediately?

What if it’s about embracing the messy, beautiful journey of showing up and creating?

Let’s dive in, shall we?

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The Myth of the perfect unique Creative Voice

Starting to share something online is a huge step. One that comes packed with insecurities. What do I have to say? What’s original about me? Isn’t someone already doing this better?

So we start planning.

We build outlines. We wait to “find our voice” before we dare to publish. But that’s probably not what will get us to our creative voice.

Finding your creative voice takes trial and error.

And I say that as someone who hasn’t found theirs yet.

You’ve got the freedom — and the power — to be a work in progress. Cause here’s a little secret: no one is reading your first work. No one cares! And that’s incredibly liberating.

It gives you the space to experiment, to fall flat, to try again ….. until something clicks.

Until something sparks a little light inside you.

That spark? That’s your voice taking shape.

Passion and curiosity are the real fuel of creativity ….. not perfection.

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Creativity as a Practice, Not a Product

Let me ask you this: how many times have you heard an artist say their work is finished?

As a songwriter, I’ll be honest … 9 out of 10 times I tell people I’m still working on a track.

Partly, it’s a defense mechanism.

But I think there’s another truth to it.

Our creative spirit wakes up in the act of creating , not in the moment we finish something. We’re already evolving as we make it, which is why it never quite feels done. We become instantly critical because we’ve already grown. We’ve moved.

We’re already curious about the next thing.

That curiosity? That’s your creative voice in motion.

Only you, with your unique background, perspective, and taste, will follow that curiosity in the way that you do. So if you’re looking around and wondering how you’ll ever be like the creators you admire… you won’t.

And that’s the best news.

You might share their interests or passions, but the way you chase them? That’s yours.

That’s the magic.

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Creativity in Everyone

Let’s destroy one more myth: that only “creative types” or artists are creative.

Trust me … every single person is creative.

Sure, some people express it through music or painting, a more literal and physical way of expression. But creativity isn’t about being able to draw.

Creativity is about solving problems. Asking better questions. Exploring new angles. It’s about showing empathy, taking initiative, and being okay with uncertainty.

And that shows up everywhere.

A data analyst who tells a compelling story through numbers? That’s creativity.

A project manager who finds a smarter way to untangle a workflow? That’s creativity too.

Creativity isn’t a title, it’s a mindset. It’s in how you think, how you observe, and how you care.

Embrace that. Your curiosity is trying to lead you somewhere.

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Every Day

Being creative doesn’t cost hours a day.

But it does make your day a hell of a lot more fun.

Small creative steps add up. Sketches, notes, voice memos, weird little ideas, asking “what if questions” …. they matter. What if these processes could go smoother? What if we could have better communication between colleagues?

Your creative voice isn’t lost. It’s waiting for you to begin the conversation.

So start.

Not because you’ve found your voice, but because that’s how you’ll find it.

~ Ivo