The creator’s enigma: You can’t be halfway relevant

If I had a mantra, it might be “The Most Human Company Wins.” I believe this with every part of my marketing soul.

And while my posts are peppered with my human experiences, anecdotes, and opinions, over 4,000 blog posts, I have rarely pulled back the curtain to talk about myself on a personal level. This is one of the few posts that actually carries a photo of me with it, for example!

Why would you care about me “behind the scenes?” But … maybe you do. I consistently and grotesquely underestimate how much people care about me.

I’m in a unique time in my life, and I thought it was worth with you.

For the first time since I was 14 years old, I have a summer “off.” I’m still blogging and recording the podcast, but I have no deadlines, no travel, no big projects. This is by design, an experiment to see what “slowing down” might be like for me.

And I NEED to slow down. I’ve had such a great career, but my pace of work has taken a toll on my physical health, and I need to take better care of myself. I want to travel less and enjoy the journey more.

After a few months in slowdown mode, I’ve learned three things.

1. Creativity unleashed

Having time to think and dream has unleashed a flood of creativity. Relaxing has always been a way for me to generate ideas, and wow … this down period has been amazing. I have so many blog posts in the queue that I’m thinking of publishing twice a week instead of once. I have a lot of ideas to get out there!

2. The brain won’t stop

Part of this creative output is a flurry of ideas for new projects. But my dilemma is, I don’t want new projects. If I take on new work, my experiment crashes. I want to stay open and flexible. It’s a struggle to slow down.

3. Creating makes me happy

I’ve validated that creating for you, my audience, makes me happy. It’s challenging and rewarding. So there are parts of my work I want to keep over time, and parts that I need to jettison. But I will keep creating in one form or another.

The relevant creator

Now comes the tricky part. The source of my creative energy has been insights about marketing. I have a solid track record of connecting the dots in ways that help people make sense of this fast-changing world. You count on my insights.

But to be insightful, you have to be relevant. And to be relevant, you have to work like a dog. You can’t be halfway relevant.

So the challenge is, can I create something valuable without killing myself in the process? I’m open to ideas. Send me a note.

I processed this enigma through ChatGPT, and here is what it advised:

Maybe the question isn’t: Will I ever be able to relax and keep creating?
Maybe it’s: Can I redefine creation itself—so that it nourishes me, even if it no longer scales?

What if you gave yourself a new metric of relevance? One that isn’t tied to views, sales, or engagement—but to personal resonance, presence, even play?

What if relevance could be … intimate?

I have to admit the darn bot got me thinking in a new way. Re-define my creativity? View it as play?

Is today’s blog post intimate?

Need a keynote speaker? Mark Schaefer is the most trusted voice in marketing. Your conference guests will buzz about his insights long after your event! Mark is the author of some of the world’s bestselling marketing books, a college educator, and an advisor to many of the world’s largest brands. Contact Mark to have him bring a fun, meaningful, and memorable presentation to your company event or conference.

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