THE AUTHENTICITY TRAP

"Just be authentic" is the new "just be yourself."

Sounds profound. Means nothing. Helps nobody.

You're out here turning your trauma into clickbait, your struggles into stories, your breakdowns into content.

We've turned authenticity into performance art.

Meet Charlie — the "authentically messy creativepreneur.”

Every Monday: mental health struggles.

Every Wednesday: childhood trauma motivation.

Every Friday: hard business truths (mostly shitting on 9-5s)

Great engagement. Terrible life.

Charlie hasn't made any real work in months. They're too busy trying to be authentic for the algorithm. Their audience is starting to see through their bullshit.

The more you try to be authentic, the less authentic you become.

Real authenticity doesn't announce itself. It doesn't have a content calendar. It doesn't optimize for engagement.

Authentic people don't talk about being authentic. They simply make choices that align with their values.

You want to know what authentic looks like?

It's saying no to opportunities that feel wrong. Even when they pay well.

It's making work that matters to you. Even when it doesn't trend.

It's having fierce boundaries about what you share. Even when "vulnerability" gets more likes.

Your baggage is not your brand.
Your values are.

Stop digging through your trauma vault for content. Start creating from a place of integrity, self-knowledge, and truth.

The world doesn't need more performative vulnerability. It needs more people who know what they stand for and aren't afraid to stand there — ten toes down.

Here's your authenticity check:

Before you hit post, ask yourself: "Am I sharing this because it's true to me, or because it'll get engagement?"

If the answer is engagement, trash it and go make something that matters.

P.S. What's something you stopped sharing because it didn't get enough likes? Maybe that's your most authentic work.

SNATCHED FROM THE DOPEST PLAYLIST

Huge shoutout to the homegirl and long time reader, Amber, for putting me on Kybba’s “Ba Ba Bad Remix.” I’ve had it on repeat for the last couple of weeks.

Check it out and shake some ass 👇