You Can't Copy & Paste Energy
— BY LAUREN TREND
Earlier this week, my friend Gloria took to her Instagram to share her frustrations, about brands riding on the backs of their peers: Using similar verbiage, visual language, and marketing tactics.
It's something I too find myself thinking about often. Something I see happening even within my own creative community.
Since Self Practice’s inception, there have been multiple 'SP replicas’ brought to my attention. Once upon a time I would take to my own personal IG account to call them out, and question their motive and use of my intellectual property for the betterment of their own business/es.
Back then, a friend advised me against this, as I'm only drawing attention to them - and ultimately, using my platform as a serving platter for them to reach my community.
On that note, ‘Community’ is a word I see being thrown around far more than it used to be. I was in discussion with my partner just this morning about the upside and downside of seeing our own verbiage used by that of other brands. On one hand, it's positive: to see our values of self-care, inclusivity, connection and cultivating community spreading - becoming more common place..
But on the other, it often feels remarkably disheartening. Like some brands are jumping on a bandwagon that improves their brand in the eye of the consumer.
I suppose the only thing that's in my/our control here - is knowing that I trust you, my community, entirely.
I trust you to be discerning. To use your own judgement and call BS if you see brands riding on the backs of others. To notice when words are simply just that. Words.
People and businesses are not what they say they’ll do. They are what they do.
When you come to Self Practice I don't want you to buy anything that doesn't' or wont serve you. However you invest in self practice, I am proud to know that it is a return investment. Because you can’t spend your time or money here, without ultimately investing in yourself.
We create (content, products and workshops) because we genuinely want your lives to be better. That's it. More mindful. More focussed. And for your everyday experiences to be elevated. For your relationship with yourself to deepen and flourish. For your connection with others to be more meaningful and honest.
We don't exist without your interest in the betterment of yourself.
While we encourage you to invest in our offerings, ultimately, however you chose to engage with SP, you’re here for you. And I'm so proud to know that everything Self Practice puts out into the world, is nothing, if not the most personal reflection of my own creative and emotional practices, and that of all our contributors.
Whether you're an individual, or creative business, that comes to SP to feel inspired, we hope that you leave inspired to do nothing other than tune into your own personal vision.
Whilst inspiration is one thing, imitation is another. You're doing the world a disservice if you are not offering your community your voice, your experience, your unique offering.
This week we encourage you to do lean into your uniqueness. Really go there. Write down what makes you, you and start using your internal navigation system as a launch pad for creativity. We should all be doing this, often; and well before sitting down to create a visual mood board.
The energy you put into your creative self or practice transcends everything else. Algorithms, page views, aesthetics and site clicks.
May this be a gentle reminder that even though we find ourselves in a Post-postmodernist era, whereby nothing seems or is arguably original — at the end of the day, it remains impossible to copy & paste energy.
Fig. 01 - Vanessa Beecroft, VB16
19 - 09 - 19