Every time I publish anything online, self-branding is on my mind, and I resent it. Resent it, work against it, try to ignore it, all the nine, and try my best to allow my ambiguous authenticity to shine despite it. My consideration for SEO tactics is my greatest if not single failure, but I’ll take it.

Also, I wrote this impulsively in the parking lot of my therapists office. Awesome. Here’s a terrible panorama of the experience.

Creative Expression

Back when I published my blog posts on blogger, my welcome post contained in it the precise purpose of my blog: to formally record my attempt at self-expressing the process of my individual self-actualization, for that is the goal of the human species.

Just as is stated in that post, self-expression is constant. It is both a ceaseless, progressional development as well as individualized and instantaneous. We do it consciously and subconsciously. We do it thoughtfully, and we do it reactively. And perhaps most importantly, we do it creatively as well.

There is a fortune cookie quote taped on the door into the shop of the metal-working art studio I work at that says,

“Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or better.”

– John Hoyer Updike, apparently

I’d like to take that a step further and make the assertion that all people are endeavoring to do whatever it is that they are doing to the best of their ability. Even if it is only their best in their minds, it is still considered “better.”

The reason for this opinion is because, in order to do something – be it simply making a statement out loud or painting a picture or purchasing a product – we must be of the opinion that the action being taken is important enough to be taken. Even if it is done begrudgingly, or thoughtlessly, it is being done, and thus foundationally the individual has acknowledged themselves as having the right or reason to do it.

And by having that right or reason to do it, we have confirmed that we are entitled to do that thing. We have accepted some sort of approval by ourselves, the universe, by others, to do it. And by being entitled enough to do it, we are then doing it to the best of our ability, in its context.

As such, ALL actions taken are creative AND expressive.

Self-Actualization

Why does it matter that all of our actions are both creative and expressive?

Well, I declared earlier that the purpose of self-expression (which is inherently creative according to my argument) is to advance our progress (both individually and collectively) of self-actualization. With each action taken, each form of creative self-expression, I as Andrea am participating in the process of fathoming myself and my place in our universe, in our society.

And that is the case for all of us, meaning that by simply existing, going about our days and lives, we are all, one by one, attempting to conceptualize ourselves in this world. And by doing so, all of us, all the time, we are collaboratively attempting to conceptualize the human as a species in this plane of existence.

I hope you’re following.

Ambiguous Authenticity

But human beings are as calculated as they are not. As animals, we function on the “algorithm” of survival. We experience sensations which are meant to protect us from harm, and direct us towards food and shelter (and arguably, companionship in some way). As beings with consciousness about ourselves, or in other words less so animals (or perhaps beyond animals?), we do not function on any algorithm, or at least none we can understand.

Human beings have been blessed (cursed?) with the capacity to think beyond survivalism. It is my belief that, because of this, we possess an existential obligation to constantly seek comprehension of what it means to live.

This means that our actions cannot, and never will, fit into predictability, rationalism, or any box whatsoever. We are always changing and moving in such a way to adapt to our circumstances as we attempt to understand what the f*ck is going on.

This means that to be authentic (as individuals and as a society, I’m sure you’re tired of me clarifying this), we are naturally ambiguous beings. We are inherently unable to fully and finally place ourselves, conceptualize ourselves, determine ourselves.

Self-Branding is overrated

This part becomes self-explanatory, right?

Let’s put it in list order:

• Human beings are always attempting to self-actualize
• Self-actualization is manifested by, and leads us to, express ourselves creatively
• The process of self-actualization is inherently nonlinear
• Because it is nonlinear, we are always changing ourselves
• By always changing ourselves, we cannot remain in designated spaces of conceptualization
• Our perpetual movement from concept to concept cannot be perfectly described or comprehended by the tools we have at our material disposal
• We cannot fixate ourselves into one form of “self-branding”

Savvy?

So if there’s one change you readers get from me and my blog, it is that maybe you join me in trying to be as authentically ambiguous as our wee human brains can fathom, for the purpose of guiding our species through and towards our existential purpose.