Liminal Creators

Liminality is the quality of ambiguity or disorientation that occurs in the middle stage of a rite of passage, when participants no longer hold their pre-ritual status but have not yet begun the transition to the status they will hold when the rite is complete. - Wikipedia

I've noticed that there is a liminal stage in the transition from a corporate life to a creator life.  This period extends from the first stirrings of discontent with a corporate life to deciding to never go back to that lifestyle.  The biggest concern in this stage is, "How do I make money?"  And Liminal Creators focus their attention on building an audience and monetizing in response.  But this is a distraction that if it fails, convinces a Liminal Creator to return the corporate world, perhaps permanently.

Obviously the question, "How do I make money?" must be addressed but the real question is "How will I survive?"  Replacing the exact income isn't necessary and is a distracting goal.  Your lifestyle will change, you will require a different amount of money to live.  Your previous salary may actually be a target that causes you to fall short of what you can earn.

There's four strategies to answer this question.  First, save enough for the transition.  Second, reduce spending to extend your runway.  Third, change your mindset to be open to a variable income.  And finally, stay at your job while you explore.  There's upsides and downsides to each strategy, but this question is a red herring.  Money isn't the point of a creator lifestyle.

So what should Liminal Creators focus on?  Liminal Creators need an experimental mindset.  They can't be burned by failure and need to continuously iterate.  They also need to have self-reflection and introspect constantly.  A third necessary mindset is independence.  You are not dependent on an employer, client, or customer.

Liminal Creators also need to differentiate themselves.  They need a niche, a wellspring of ideas, and skills.

Finally, Liminal Creators need a tribe.  They need a group of similarly-minded people for support and mutual aid.

In order to fulfill these intentions, there are methods that Liminal Creators must undertake.  Writing is the most powerful.  Through writing, you can find your niche, introspect, source ideas, and find a tribe.  There's different types of writing, including journaling, writing a newsletter, and sharing on social media and blogs.  Other methods are Doing Something 100 Times, Taking a Course, and Make $1.

But the most important of all is to take action.