Customize Your Uniqueness (GWTW908)

You don't really think about what makes an artist unique until you see the tools of their creation up close. Recently, I visited the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio and while looking at artifact after artifact I started to see a pattern: intense customization. Most artists memorialized in this shrine to music didn't buy their greatness off the rack, they shaped it through their own hands and creative collaborations. There were wires sticking out of guitar bodies, unique shapes with multiple finishes, endless knobs and faders, and costumes adorned with everything from spikes and patches to mirrors and leather. While most of us will never be inducted into any hall of fame, we can learn from our heroes. Fast forward 30 years into your career, will you be remembered for the way you shaped your tools to bring your vision to life? Or will you be as forgettable as the prompts you used to generate acceptance in a world filled with conformists? 10 Ways to Customize Your Uniqueness, Bring Your Vision to Life, and Have a Taste of Greatness: Suck. Embrace analog. Keep the evidence of your hand in your work. Substance over style. Style over sameness. Say no to the niche. Tailor your work to you, not the other way around. Spend time wrestling with your work. Make work for actual people, not machines. Get social offline. Show Links Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 1984 | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's newest exhibit featurette, "Women in Metal: You Will Know My Name" Revolutionary Women in Music | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Jeremy Cowart 2Advanced Studios Northwest Book Fair Metallica Perfect Days (2023)