(THIS POST IS A PART OF MY “B” SERIES WHICH I’LL DELIVER ONCE A MONTH!
CONTINUE TO B KIND. B SILLY. B INSPIRED. B IMPERFECT.)
If you’ve been reading my words and watching my thoughts on YouTube or Instagram, you know that I’m pretty open and honest about the mistakes I’ve made and the lessons I’ve learned. Why? Because I really want other people to not do the same crazy mess! I want us all to be the best that we can be.
So this “B” post is timely because I’ve been being more consistent and disciplined with building my “brand” online, figuring out what I want to put forth and what separates me from the pack. It’s hard sometimes because you feel like you have to be like some of the other influencers out there in order to get any traction. That took me back to years past.
For the longest time, I would watch people on Instagram or YouTube to see what I should do to grow as a brand or be more glam and beautiful. Even as recently as last year, I was trying to switch up my look, my social media, and other things behind the scenes. Keeping it real, I was also in a relationship where I was nervous to be myself for fear that I was going to be broken up with and alone (I finally walked away and I swear I’m the happiest I’ve ever been now. Go figure). I was obsessed with losing weight in unhealthy ways thinking that it would get me further along on different fronts. (I have stories, y’all. I’m really gonna write a book one day). I was trying my hardest to change up out of fear that people wouldn’t relate to me just as I was.
But I was still losing because I wasn’t being myself.
I was trying so hard to be other people that I had lost sight of who I was. I had lost sight of the true purpose behind this site and who I was trying to impact. And it wasn’t helping me AT ALL. In fact, it was making me feel worse about myself trying to compete with others and change up who I am.
When I was doing a lot of thinking about this, Demi Lovato released her song “I Love Me” and I loved it. It had me dancing and crying in one listen because it was all about battling insecurities about yourself and loving yourself just who you are. I went as far to post a video of me dancing around to it too LOL!
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As I worked on this, I was reminded that, no matter what I write, create, or do, I have to be authentic. I have to be Brittany, flaws and all. Whoever is supposed to connect with and relate to my stories, WILL. Whoever isn’t, WON’T. And that’s okay. I may change my style of delivery and upgrade some equipment/habits on my end, but don’t have to change who I am and the type of content that I ultimately want to deliver just to get people on my side.
The same goes for y’all, especially for those who want to be influencers or creatives on other platforms. Be unapologetically yourself. As “wild” or quirky or “normal” as that may be. Focus on working on what you’re good at passionate about and not what you think will make you the most money off the top. Stop trying to switch yourself up for followers or likes or attention. There’s always going to be somebody who connects with who you are. But, in order for that to happen, you actually have to be who you are.
In a world full of copies, originality stands out. Trust me.
Imperfectly,
Imperfectly B 