In 2016, an NYU music school student brought a demo of an unfinished song she was working on to class.
She had no idea Pharrell Williams would show up, she’d have to play the song for him, and await his feedback.
Or that a camera crew would film the encounter.
She stared at a point on the floor while the song played because she was too nervous to look anywhere else.
When it ended, Pharrell said:
“I have zero notes for that and I’ll tell you why.
It’s because you’re doing your own thing. It’s singular.
It’s like when the Wu-Tang Clan came out – no one could really judge it. You either liked it or you didn’t, but you couldn’t compare it to anything else.
That is such a special quality.
All of us possess that ability, but you have to be willing to seek.”
The music student was Maggie Rogers and that moment launched her career.
The video went viral and the song’s been streamed 326 million times on Spotify alone.
I’m sharing this story with you because Pharrell’s explanation of what makes a creation special goes way beyond music.
You can study all the creators you want and how they do what they do.
It will help.
But ultimately, your best work – the work that will change your life – can only come from you.
Who you are, what you’ve experienced, and what’s inside you itching to come out is your competitive advantage.
As Pharell said, we all possess the ability to create original work.
We just have to be willing to try.
And try again.
I hope you will.
Here’s the video of this remarkable moment:
RELATED:
• What The Simpsons Can Teach You About Writing Better Copy
• What Mad Men Reveals About The Creative Process
• How To Get Clients From Your Content