The Power of Being Cringe

Have you been holding back on sharing your creative ideas and passions out of fear they might seem cringeworthy or flop?

It's time to embrace the cringe and boldly put yourself out there.

Too often, creatives play it safe and self-censor because of a deep fear of embarrassment, rejection, or "looking bad."

But here's the counterintuitive truth - the path to real creative success and finding your audience requires leaning into what feels cringeworthy at first.

Post those "dumb" video ideas that excite you, even if you don't think they'll be an immediate hit.

You've probably noticed how viral hits often start with someone just putting out authentic content from the heart, with zero expectation of it blowing up.

And it blew up because that was what was on their heart. That was the idea that excited them.

Once you start sharing the raw ideas and passions that genuinely thrill you, it becomes addictive.

You'll feel liberated to create and post whatever you want, without filtered self-censorship.

Stop trying so hard to appear "cool" - your ideal audience actually craves that authentic, uncool self-expression.

Get out of your own way, because that community is waiting for your unique creative voice, even the cringeworthy first drafts of it.

Fear of failure may feel very real, but if you don't try, you won't ever succeed OR fail.

And contrary to your self-doubt, hardly anyone will actually remember or dwell on the flops.

As Berkeley psychologist Barry Staw wrote, "Creatives are persistent. They are able to reformulate a problem when facing failure, rather than just give up or continue down the same path. But above all else, creative types are risk-takers." All great creative geniuses take risks by putting imperfect iterations out into the world, unfazed by potential failure.

You can't wait around for someone else to validate your creative genius or give you permission.

That spark has to come from you. And it starts by giving yourself the freedom to experiment shamelessly with ideas, sharing them without attachment to outcomes.

Because that's exactly what you're doing - running creative experiments.

Just like scientists don't fear being wrong, but see experiments as essential to proving theories, you need that persistent mindset.

We wouldn't have incredible medical, technological or artistic breakthroughs today if innovators operated from a place of perfectionism rather than iterative experimentation.

Here’s a framework to help you overcome the fear of judgement and boldly pursue your authentic creative expression.

Identify Your Passion Project 

What creative idea or passion project has been burning inside you, even if it feels cringeworthy? Give yourself permission to embrace that impulse fully.

Do a Cringe Purge

Make a list of all the fears and negative self-talk holding you back (embarrassment, failure, criticism etc). Then figuratively (or literally) crumple it up and toss it out.

Create Like A Scientist

Approach your passion project not as a final product, but as your first creative experiment. Scientists don't fear failed experiments, they expect and learn from them.

Drop the "Cool" Crutch 

Purposely lean into the cringey, uncool authenticity. Stop filtering for social approval and make what excites YOU.

Share With Reckless Abandon 

Post, publish, or share your creation in a spirit of energetic detachment from outcomes. The goal is pure creative expression.

Analyze With Objectivity 

Approach any reaction (success, failure, criticism) with a scientist's objectivity. Look for helpful data, not validation.

Revise and Repeat 

Take what you learned from the last "experiment" and iterate. Continue adjusting, sharing, and not fearing the cringe-factor.

So go ahead and hit publish on that "cringeworthy" video, writing, art, product, or novel idea you've been holding back on. Not because you think it will be an instant hit, but because it's a first step into the authentic creative expression that will ultimately lead you to impact and success.

Embrace the cringe and start experimenting boldly! That's where the real magic happens.

Boldly yours,

Diamond