Brain Drippings How to be Authentic ...Authentically Or How to not Look Like an Obnoxious Jerk

By Donald R Dodson, Jr.

The brash young man haughtily declares in his livestream, “Like, I am just being authentic! Lettin’ my freak flag fly ya know? I dig (insert “weird” hobby or proclivity here) Now buy my stuff, cuz I am being REAL.” Let’s face it, this is bullshit. You’ve all come across this crap. Folks who are maybe even actually being authentic, but it doesn’t make sense. Or, worse it feels, well, forced or even -- fake!

Why is this popular buzzword -- authenticity – often used so poorly? Perhaps we don’t even realize it. See, the word and its related roots and phrases, have been watered down to a shallow “be yourself ”. For a craftsman such as myself it holds even deeper value and meaning but let’s dig into the word itself and maybe shed some light.

Cracking open the dust-covered digital dictionary, your humble author blows dust from the cracked pages and shares what he finds:

“Etymology: from 1340, “authoritative”, from Old French autentique, from Medieval Latin authenticus, from the Greek authentikos “ original, genuine, principal,.” Originally from Greek authentikos, it was a derivative of the noun authentes, “doer, master”, which was formed from autos, “self ” and the base -hentes, “worker, doer, being”

Ok. A bit tricky. Not simple (which is why we are in this mess) Lets look at this one.

“authentic (1300-1400) Old French autentique, from Late Latin, from Greek authentikos, from authentes “person who did a particular thing”

Now, we are getting somewhere. See the theme? The master/owner/person is the one who DID something. And because they did it, we know its “real” – its, you guessed it, “authentic”. A key part though is there is an ACTION! Here is another that I particularly felt drawn to: “that what you do with your own hands” The craftsman in me loves this!

There are two aspects to authenticity. The “authentic self or being” aspect – the psychology of who our genuine self is. This is the one we see the most. And, then there is “authentic action” – this is the manifestations in actions and deeds of our authentic selves. This is us doing something authentically with purpose derived from what we are.

But why has so much been focused on the authentic being and not taking action? I think there are a few reasons. So, lets unpack this.

We see this authentic – “Be your weird-ass self ” promoted a great deal in part because of the head trash we have. We are taught to be humble and to “fit in”. Hell, our parents and grandparents come from a period where you had to be “the Man in the Grey suit” and blend in, to do your part for the greater good! We come pre-loaded with an adverse reaction to being different. Certainly, this has improved. But we often are fighting in our own heads significant doubt or lack of self-worth. It’s also pretty scary to put ourselves out there. We can spend years “working on ourselves “and never really figure out “who we are”.

But there is another reason why this is an ongoing and popular theme and it might surprise you in its shocking simplicity. This is where the action part comes in. We struggle with being different, authentic or our weird-ass selves because we never DO ANYTHING with that! We don’t turn that “authentic self ” that we are, into purpose and action. If you leverage that authentic self into active expression, then you suddenly have a more sustainable and realistic affirming sense of self because it means something to someone else. A truly authentic teacher or coach teaches because that is what they ARE!

Okay, so now what? How do we be authentically, well, authentic. How can you not look like the dude at the beginning of this article? We can be authentic and/or take authentic action. How do we rightly leverage our badass-authentic-selves”? As I see it (in business), authenticity should:

• Be relevant

• Differentiate you in a (hopefully) positive way

• Be relatable providing connection

• Translate into authentic action

Relevance

Joe Smith is, say, a really, you know, a kind of brash, acerbic in your face kind of person – okay he is kind of an asshole. That’s them being their authentic self, it’s how they are, right? What do they do with that? What, you want a cookie? No. that’s bullshit. Now if they use that trait, say as a coach, to get people to find their better selves. Or, maybe to motivate themto become more successful entrepreneurs or athletes, then that’s good. It might work. There is purpose behind embracing that authentic self. They are using their natural, brusque and blunt traits to motivate others through words and action --- and being an asshole. They were called Drill Sergeants for some.

Not all aspects or traits of your authentic self are useful though. If you are an obnoxious asshole who does graphic design or makes furniture, those personality traits aren’t really serving anyone, are they? They might even be hindering you. You are just an obnoxious designer.

Differentiation

Differentiation goes hand in hand with relevance. Let’s look at Joe Smith again. Now, what action can he make? What can he do with that assholery that sets him apart from others that can provide some positive action or change? What product or service does his authentic asshole-self provide that is relevant? Most likely, unless he is a Gordon Ramsey – nothing. It is important to figuring yourself out. Not only in terms of who/ what you are, but how best to help others with that authenticity. That’s where we can use our authenticity to its best and greatest advantage.

Provide connection and building an audience

Being authentic and embracing who or what we are is useful in attracting an audience or market. We are using our authentic self to attract others. They may appreciate the “real you” for your honesty, are like you and are attracted because you are the same way or, they want to BE like you. It’s like finding YOUR tribe. So, if you are Joe Smith, regardless of your actual

actions or vocation is, it attracts. There’s nothing wrong with that and, in some cases, that’s perfect. That doesn’t mean that they’re going to want the same things as Joe. That’s going to help him find his audience, but perhaps not his market.

We aren’t always quite like our audience or market, though, are we? And the authentic attributes one shares must again be relevant to be valuable. That’s an important distinction. As a craftsperson, how angry and brash I might be, or a deep abiding love of comic books (just an example) probably has very little to do with what I create. However, if I am sharing my obsession for attention to detail, or that I have OCD, or that I am stubborn,

those attributes CAN have a great deal of value beyond gathering an audience. I can leverage those attributes into action, purpose, and as well as differentiation, too. In some cases, being like Joe will attract fans who will buy because they like him, even as an asshole. Howard Stern, famous shock jock attracted radio audiences simply because they wanted to hear what he was gonna do or say next.

Authentic Action

We have already done a lot of heavy lifting on this and with the help of early topics Authentic Action is easier to execute. What sets us apart as an entrepreneur is not just WHO we are, but what we do with who we are. In other words, “how” does an authentic-self manifest into authentic action? That “how” is best described as a purpose. For some it’s a passion, but purpose is a better fit. It denotes an external impact.

Take my personal perspective, for example. My authentic self certainly has a lot to do with how that work comes out. It is the embodiment of my craft, but also my values, my design ideas, and, in some cases my interests. The one definition says, “made with their own hands,” that concept is very powerful, and of course creates a large deal of ownership. Because part of authenticity is owning who or what you are. That extends to a “why” as well, whether it’s a craft or a calling like folks like Donnie Boivin have, we have a vision and a purpose!

We crave purpose! Too often, we are so inwardly focused that we miss or fail to put that authentic self into authentic action. Here is the awesome part. Because it is a reflection of our genuine self, so is the action and the purpose; sincere, genuine, and yes, Authentic! People will see that and connect to it! That is at the heart of authentic action.

Endeavor to figure out not only who you are – your authentic weird-ass-self – but a purpose and action to make it all make sense.

Donald Dodson, owner of Dodson Designs, has been involved in artistic pursuits for as long as he can remember. Starting at age 16 as a sign painter assistant, and after high school, he pursued a career in graphic arts, finding his home in graphic design and web design. After an eight-year stint as a teacher, Dodson, a combat veteran, longed to return to his passion for the arts and, at 49, started a full-time leather working business.

He crafts handmade, creative custom leather goods and accessories near Lancaster, Pennsylvania.