It's been said before.

It’s been done before.

There’s nothing new under the sun.

What has been said and done before?  Honestly?  Lots of things, possibly including whatever it is that you’re thinking about creating right now.

That’s OK.  You’re going to do it and say it in your own way.

I went to a powerful conference last summer.  It was called the “Copywriting Academy Live,” by Ray Edwards.  By the way, if you haven’t listened to his podcast, I recommend it.

Now, if you don’t know, copywriting with a “w” is not the same as a copyright, no “w.”  This type of copywriting means to write the words that promote and sell products and services.  It’s a type of writing used in advertising and marketing, but it’s useful in so many more ways, because it teaches the writer to connect with the needs of other people, i.e., an audience.

All I can say is that you had to be there.  It’s hard to explain how a copywriting conference became an unforgettable spiritual and motivational experience, but it truly was.

If your art budget allows, then attending a conference in your area of interest can allow for significant personal and creative growth.  The speakers, including Ray Edwards, were just stellar.  The stage lit up with the likes of Anna Powers, Cliff Ravenscraft, Jeff Goins, and Leslie Samuel, and I furiously took notes.

And there was one life-changing takeaway in terms of self-expression.  I want to share it with you now:

You are the only one with your unique voice.  There are people out there who will be well-attuned to your voice, but they won’t hear it unless you speak.

Wow.

That’s why it’s OK  if something has been said or done before.  There are people who will like yours the best.  They need to hear or see that message, or that art, specifically from you, in your own unique voice.

That doesn’t mean that you should copy someone else’s work.  Far from it.  It means that you should share your own work, even if you think it’s not that special.  Because, to someone, somewhere, it is.

Shakespeare wrote stories that have been re-told in countless ways.  But the stories are still worth re-telling.  And his work, though unique, was not created from a void.  He was, undoubtedly, inspired by previous stories and experiences that had common threads and themes.  

His stories resonated with people because, although they were fiction, they reflected truths about human thoughts and emotions.  People could relate to them.  They still do.

Shakespeare used his own voice to express what had already been said and done before.  People always experienced love, sadness, jealousy, and anger.  He just said it in his own way, and so have others who followed.

It’s been said before?  Not by you.  So, go say it in your own way, to those who will only be able to hear it best when it comes from you.