Your Creative Voice Is More Powerful Than Any Algorithm | Ep. 73

Have you ever felt torn between creating what you love and what gets engagement? The pressure for relevance in today's digital world forces many creators into an uncomfortable choice between authenticity and popularity.

This episode delves into this creative tension through the inspiring story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the pioneering musician who played electric guitar and blended gospel with blues long before Elvis or Chuck Berry became household names. Her legacy reminds us that true artistry comes from authenticity rather than trend-chasing. We explore the fundamental difference between creating art (which heals us and tells our stories) and producing content (which often serves primarily to please algorithms and audiences). When we create from this authentic place, we naturally attract the people who genuinely connect with our work.

Whether you're a writer, entrepreneur, musician, or anyone navigating the creative landscape, this conversation offers perspective on finding that crucial balance: being strategic without selling yourself short.

Your unique voice matters. Share your thoughts on maintaining creative integrity in a review, and if these ideas resonated with you, please tell a friend about the show!

Theme Music:
She No Dull Beat by Nana Kwabena
Festivities in Belize by RAGE Productions

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome & Women's History Month
• 3:32 Sister Rosetta Tharpe's Legacy
• 4:23 Art vs Content Creation
• 6:15 Finding Your Creative Middle Ground
• 7:11 Evolution of This Podcast
• 9:01 Staying True to Creative Values

Transcript

Aliya Cheyanne: 1:22

Welcome back to the show. Thank you so much for being here. I'm so happy that you're tuning in and, if you haven't already, be sure to rate and review the show and share this podcast with a friend. Since it's Women's History Month, I want to highlight an incredible Black woman you should know about. Long before rock stars like Elvis and Chuck Berry became famous, sister Rosetta Tharpe was doing it first. Without trying to fit into the mold, sister Rosetta Tharpe was a pioneer in music, blending gospel, blues and electric guitar in ways that weren't mainstream at the time. She created from a place of authenticity even when the industry wasn't ready for her. Her story reminds us that real artistry isn't about chasing trends. It's about staying true to your creative voice. Listen to Didn't it Rain or Up Above my Head and reflect on originality versus popularity. Listen to Didn't it Rain or Up Above my Head and reflect on originality versus popularity.

Aliya Cheyanne: 2:41

In your own work. There's often so much tension between making what you love and what gets engagement. There's a lot of pressure to be relevant online. Do you hop onto the TikTok trend so that you can get all of the likes and maybe some follows and have the chance at a viral moment, or do you post the thing that feels authentic to you and what you want to do and how you want to show up online.

Aliya Cheyanne: 3:09

I think there's a difference between art and content and, while there might be some overlap, at its core, the art that creatives create are often for ourselves. They're ways for us to tell a story, they're ways for us to heal, and if, by chance, the public has the opportunity to consume it and gain something from it, then that's the bonus. Content, on the other hand, rarely feels like something we create for ourselves. It's usually something we create for others to enjoy, enjoy what others like, and it can sometimes get us away from the things that we gravitate towards and the things that we like. There's a difference between creating for yourself and creating for the algorithm the nefarious algorithm, the all-seeing and all-knowing algorithm. Creating for yourself is the difference between sharing your truth and your light and what you know and expressing it to the world so that others who are aligned might find you, so that others who are aligned might find you, versus creating for the sake of creating for the attention of followers, or the attention of followers and people who may support you for a particular thing, even if it's creative work that's not fully aligned with who you are. So you have to find the middle ground. You have to be strategic without cheating yourself and without selling yourself out. You have to stay true to your creative values. I think about that a lot with this podcast.

Aliya Cheyanne: 4:59

When the show first started, it covered a lot of current events and pop culture topics, which were okay and pop culture topics, which were okay. But over time I ultimately had the vision that I wanted to talk about more evergreen topics, topics that don't just surface one day and by the end of the week everyone's on to the next thing. Topics that people can come back to over and over again because they align deeply with our core as human beings. I often say that the nature of the human spirit is creative. We are creative beings who are constantly searching for their purpose. What better way to learn, to grow, to evolve, to become my own woman, than to sit down with incredible people who are on the same path, who are charting their own paths and who are inspiring others to do the same?

Aliya Cheyanne: 5:59

This podcast became an outlet for me to stay true to my creative values, my curiosity, my willingness and my ability to learn, my desire to connect with others, my desire to teach and be taught, my desire to educate and be educated. Staying true to my creative values might be a slow burn, but when I look back at what I've created it feels so much more rewarding, because I know those of you who are here are here because you find value in this work, because you find value in this conversation, because we are aligned in some way, shape or form. And while it might be fun every now and then to hop in a trend as a form of micro creativity or as a form of play or as a form of joy, it's important that we don't become that. It's important that we stay true to our creative values and the vision that we are all uniquely placed with. That we are all uniquely placed with to hold, to realize, to do the thing that no one else can do, because only we can, only you listening can, or only I can. Staying true to your creative values ensures that your people will find you because, after all, that is the purpose of social media. So I ask you reflect on a time where you felt torn between trends and authenticity. What did you ultimately decide? How have you stayed true to your creative values? Let me know in a review or a text to the show.

Aliya Cheyanne: 7:48

Thanks for tuning in to another short but sweet episode. If this episode resonated with you, please be sure to tell a friend. To tell a friend and to rate and review the show on your favorite podcast platform, wherever you're listening to this episode right now. Thank you for lending me your time, your energy and your ears, and I appreciate you for being here. Have a great rest of your day or night and I'll catch you on the next episode. Bye.