Why is Authenticity Still on Trend?

<p>If you’re enjoying this podcast and want to join the conversation, the “Self-Employed Creatives” club meets every Wednesday at 4pm Pacific time on Clubhouse. I hope you’ll join us there: <a href='https://www.joinclubhouse.com/club/self-employed-creati'>https://www.joinclubhouse.com/club/self-employed-creati</a></p> <p>Authenticity has been a hot topic for a while now. But what does it mean to be your "true authentic self," and why is that so important?</p> <p>The full episode transcript is available at <a href='http://aardvarkgirl.com/authenticity'>http://aardvarkgirl.com/authenticity</a></p> <p>--</p> <p>I’ve noticed a trend amongst the people I’ve talked to in the last year. Authenticity comes up over and over again as one of the most important traits. It can sound a little odd – if you’re not yourself, then who are you? But who you are inside isn’t always how you reflect yourself on social media, in business meetings, and everywhere else. Sometimes it’s intentional, because you’re trying to present a specific image of how you want people to see you. Other times it’s subconscious, and you’re subtly changing yourself to try to fit in. That’s not always a bad thing, but if it takes away from who you truly are, it can cause problems down the line.</p> <p>What exactly is authenticity and why is it still on trend? Why is everyone looking for everyone’s “true authentic self?” I think it’s because we’re tired of being manipulated by marketing, media, and sales gimmicks. We don’t want the façade. We want to relate to others on a human level and we can’t do that if someone else is living a “perfect” life all the time. It seems we’re yearning for people to be real and vulnerable and talk about the challenges everyone faces so we don’t feel like we’re the only one who feels a certain way or is dealing with certain issues. Despite all the great things technology brings us, I think that the constant connection is actually making us feel more disconnected than ever. We’re not actually talking and communicating. We’re