With so many people floating through life, a person with a strong sense of identity will emerge from the crowd. This is not a forced act, but a natural and organic evolution.
Forcing things is what keeps people in the crowd. There are so many knock-offs in the world. This is inevitable in the beginning of any pursuit. You must first learn the craft, follow instructions, and re-create what others have done. However, this is where most people become content. There's no crisis or conflict in merely following other's paths; no desire for more; no dissatisfaction with how things are being done.
If you are tired of copying others work, or others techniques or rules, you are in good company. Many of the best artists in the world reached a point in their career where they threw in the proverbial towel. They became sick of trying to impress and please others, and of copying other people's work. So they leaped. Once you leave the crowded space of everyone else, you become open to a new environment where limitless possibilities of creative expression can flow. Innovation and art don't come about by competing with others; but by leaving the competition behind and pioneering completely uncharted territory.
Prestige, success, prominence, wealth... these things become stumbling blocks to self-discovery. People at this stage of identity development have yet to realize who they really are. They haven't experienced the needed identity crisis to bring reality into clearer focus. Rather, they are caught in the ceaseless waves of in-authenticity. They are a reflection of their external circumstances. The path of least resistance. Whatever society proclaims as true they buy into. Seeking constant approval from others at all costs. A hollow shell.
But when you begin to experience inner turmoil, none of that stuff matters anymore. Suddenly you begin to question everything you thought was true. You begin to look at your pursuits and ask, "Is this what I really want?"
Until you experience identity crisis, you will never obtain identity achievement. You will never discover who you really are. However, after crisis comes clarity and commitment. No more do the old rules need to be followed. Those rules never worked for you in the first place. You no longer need to compete with the masses vying for attention. You can leave the herd and create something innovative and unique.
This is the pattern of so many famous chef's. They became sick of doing what everyone else was doing. They broke away and decided to be their true and authentic self. This only came after identity crisis. Once they became clear on who they were, they were able to commit to something real. They were able to do what they were born to do, and for the right reasons.
The natural outcome is genuine art and innovation. And emergence from the crowd. The creation of work that moves, inspires, and changes people.
Contrary to popular belief, becoming narrow-sighted is not a bad thing. It's actually the best thing. But only after the needed identity crisis and exploration. After we've had our belief system, our life path, everything about who we are uprooted and shaken out, can we begin to clearly determine who we really are in the world. Once we've made it through this painful slog can we commit to a path. This path becomes extremely narrow. We have a purpose to fulfill. We have a craft to perfect. We have people to serve. No longer can we toil in tangential and trivial pursuits which reflect mismanagement of the self. At this level of commitment, such things can no longer be justified. At this level of commitment, we become willing to endure all things to finish what we've started.
No longer will we be chronic quitters. We've passed the stage of exploring the endless options the world has available. We're no longer content scraping surfaces. We are ready for the deep dive into our soul. We're ready to specialize and make a significant contribution. We're ready to leave everything behind and do our work, regardless of how it is received, regardless of what other people think.
We are ready to finish what we've started: Ourselves.