Knowing your creative strengths
There are areas in which you excel and ... what are they?
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE # 238
Let’s be honest: as content creators, most of use are bad at something.
Some of use are painfully bad, while others soldier on regardless, confident in their skills, oblivious of their shortcomings. If you’re in the latter category, please, ask a friend to be honest with you. Then take steps to correct things.
The thing about creating content these days is that we all have our weaknesses, it’s simply that we all need to be aware of what you suck at.
The real power then comes from knowing where you excel—then doubling down on it.
Me? I like to write. I’ve done a lot of it and the more of it I produce, the better my writing becomes—better as in more fluid; better as in ideas seem to flow with greater ease.
Then there’s video, a thing at which I’d LIKE to be good but that, honestly, I doubt I’ll ever have much of a skill for. Which leads me to the myth of the well rounded creator.
The myth of the "well-rounded" creator
There’s a dangerous myth floating around that to be successful, you need to be good at everything—writing, video, design, SEO, public speaking, memes, and whatever new algorithm hack TikTok just invented.
Obviously, this is nonsense. No one is good at everything. Some of us struggle with at least one thing. Others struggle with several things, and again, that’s OK.
Here’s the thing: the most successful creators I know, the people at the top of their game in one way or another, they aren’t well-rounded.
Although many of them are not brilliant at everything, they’re comfortable in their specific zone. What sets them apart isn’t that they’re multi-talented. No. What sets them apart is that they’re sharp—razor-focused on their unique strengths.
They know what they’re great at, and they outsource, ignore, or laugh off the rest.
How to spot your strengths (and weaknesses)
Look at what feels effortless
If you can write a 1,000 to 1,500-word blog post in 45 minutes without breaking a sweat without even thinking about it, that’s a strength.
If editing a 60-second video takes you six hours and three mental breakdowns, that’s a weakness (that’d be me).
Track what people compliment you on
Do people say, "Your humor is amazing!" but never mention your graphics? Focus on humor.
Are your LinkedIn posts getting shared while your Reels flop? Maybe long-form is your thing.
Pay attention to what you avoid
Procrastination is often a sign of weakness. If you dread making thumbnails, you’re probably bad at them. And so on.
Make lists of the things you’re good at and the things you’re not so comfortable with and decide which tasks you’re better suited to. These are your personal superpowers.
Exploit your strengths like a strategist
Once you know your superpowers, you’re much better positioned to weaponize them:
If you’re a great writer but a terrible speaker? Write more. Don’t force a podcast.
If you’re hilarious on video but your tweets fall flat? Go all-in on video.
If you’re analytical but not creative? Deep-dive into data-driven content.
The lateral advantage
Sometimes, your "weakness" is just a strength in disguise:
"I ramble too much." → Maybe you’re a natural storyteller.
"I overthink everything." → Maybe you’re built for deep analysis.
"I’m too niche." → That’s called a loyal audience.
Final rule: stop trying to fix everything
If you think you need to be good at every platform, every format, or every trend, rejoice! No, you don’t! The fastest way to stand out is to be unapologetically great at one thing—and to either let the rest go, to to spend less time worrying about it or focusing on it, OR, to invest time and effort to become a little bit better at it over a six month period.
So, now you know what to let go of—or at least, what to fret about less—what’s your creative superpower? What’s your unique skillset? And more importantly—what are doing to improve the way you using it?
As always, thanks for reading.
—Gary
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P.S. If you found this useful, share it with another creator who needs an ego check (in a nice way). Want more unfiltered takes on content creation? Join my newsletter. No fluff, just the stuff that works.
Next time on Shaking the Tree: How action breeds inspiration
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the U.K., Gary Bloomer is a writer, branding advocate, marketing specialist, and an award-winning graphic designer.
His design work has been included in Creative Review (one of the UK’s largest design magazines). Since 2009, he has answered over 5,000 marketing and business questions in the Know-How Exchange of MarketingProfs.com, placing him among the top 3% of contributors. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.