Hit the Books with Dan Milnor: Let’s Talk About Soul
Many of us dream of making creative work our full-time pursuit. But the reality is that most of us creators aren’t doing it professionally, and what if that’s actually a blessing? When we keep our livelihoods and creative practices separate, this split allows us the gift of focusing on making work for ourselves. Our creativity is sheltered from the numbers, metrics, and attachment to results that dictate so much of the professional world. Instead, our creative pursuits are guarded as a space to find meaning.
The journey to discover meaning for ourselves is a long one. First of all, it requires unplugging: a crucial step for those of us who spend too much (or really, any) time online. As professional photographer and Blurb creative ambassador Dan Milnor describes in the video below, this search for meaning can be equated with the search for soul—not in a religious sense, but akin to the undeniable feeling listeners get from John Coltrane’s music or readers from Somerset Maugham’s writing. Take a few minutes out of your day and give it a watch.
Watch: Dan Milnor on finding your soul
Dan discusses why finding personal meaning, or soul, in your creative work is crucial, especially when separated from commercial pressures. He emphasizes tuning out external influences and avoiding trends to discover what truly resonates.
Defining soul: meaning over metrics
As Dan describes, you will not find your meaning through someone else. By constantly looking for validation outside of yourself, you will only find meaning from others, defined by others. But true meaning comes from somewhere deeper. One word for that deeper meaning, Dan argues, is soul.”
In our professional lives, we are regularly asked to hit our numbers or show weekly, monthly, or quarterly gains. Separating your creativity from all of these quantified pressures provides a precious opportunity to seek out something specific to you, regardless of popular appeal.
Your own personal meaning might not be pretty, it might not win awards, or go viral—but as long as it’s real and it’s true, you are on your way to becoming something. Making what’s hot, or what’s trendy, or what generates the most views or likes is never going to work in the long run, at least if you are searching for something more.
This search is a long one, but if you keep at it and maintain a steadfast commitment, your own meaning will emerge.
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Self-publishing is a powerful medium that allows you to tap into your inner voice and figure out what you really want to say. You can start by making a book just for yourself, and then see where the journey takes you!