5 Truths About Knowing Who You Are

Expressing oneself in the world and creativity are the same. It may not be possible to know who you are without somehow expressing it. — Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being

I often hear people say, “I’m not creative.”

The people who say this are some of the most creative people I’ve ever met. Their creativity is manifest in the stories they tell about why and how they are not creative.

They search for facts to justify this belief about themselves.

How We Define Ourselves

We all hold onto beliefs about who we are. Most of these beliefs were fed to us, and conditioned within us.

Labels assigned to us growing up often seem to preclude the possibility that we can be multiple things at once. For example, you were “smart” or an “athlete.” You were “creative” or “intellectual.”

Once we learn our labels, we often cling to them throughout life. The “smart” and “intellectual” people gravitate towards certain areas of study and certain professions. The “athletic” people go in a different direction.

The beliefs about who we are shape what we pursue and who we become.

And they can lead us to hold onto stories and perspectives about who we are that become limiting.

5 Truths About Knowing Who You Are

(1) You are not just one thing.

We have the capacity fit within all of these labels, even at the same time.

(2) You are always changing.

Maybe you weren’t so athletic growing up; perhaps you followed an intellectual path. That doesn’t mean you must be confined to that path your whole life. As you grow, you take on new labels and shed others.

(3) You have the power to choose your path.

We do not need to be confined to the same path forever. Invention and re-creation are part of the story.

(4) What you do does not define your identity.

What you do and how you put yourself in the world does not define your sole identity. It’s a portal through which a part of your identity is expressed. To find more pieces of yourself, find other outlets to express yourself.

(5) Everyone is creative.

To be alive is to be creative. Every time you talk to a friend, answer an email, post something on social media, engage in a workout, cook dinner, drive your car — anything you do — is an act of creativity. You are creating something tangible or intangible that is an expression of yourself and your point of view.

Each way you choose to express yourself offers clues about who you are. If you want to know who you are, just look at what you’re doing and how you’re doing it.