Most people try to get what they want by either waiting to be discovered or simply by obtaining credentials (i.e. certifications,licenses, and degrees) that will motivate others to pick them, praise them, or pay them.

The harsh reality of the real world is that credentials won’t do the work for you. Even with all the credentials in the world, you won’t be able to get very far unless you can convince people that you know how to create value.

The ultimate credential is creativity. And creativity isn’t developed simply by studying things. It’s developed by building things. The only way to become something is by doing something. If a person wants to be a filmmaker, they have to make a film. Then, by virtue of having made a film, that person becomes a filmmaker. If a person wants to be a writer, they have to write something. Then, by virtue of having written, that person becomes a writer. If a person wants to be a businessperson, they have to build a business. Then, by virtue of having built a business, that person becomes a businessperson.

In the creative process, doing precedes becoming. There is no meaningful sense in which you can BE a filmmaker, BE a writer, BE an entrepreneur, or BE anything else without actually doing the things that correspond to those labels. Creativity is about what you do.

In traditional schooling, we’re conditioned to think that we have to obtain credentials before we can become the things we want to be. But in the real world, you don’t become the person you want to be until you find a way to start creating before you think you’re worthy, qualified, or smart enough.

Think about the person you want to become. Who do you truly want to be? Start acting out the role in whatever way you can. If you want to BE more creative, DO more things that create results. If you want to BE different, DO things that are different.

In the schooling mindset, becoming (being respected as an expert or competent professional) precedes doing (getting the opportunity to create value). In the creative process, doing (finding ways to build things and add value) precedes becoming (being respected as an expert or competent professional).

From this point, we’re going to focus more intensely on becoming by doing. Today we’ll start by focusing on building your own personal blog. Drawing from the information and insights you gathered in your previous exercises, we’ll help you take the first steps towards building your own personal brand and signaling your ability to create value.

Watch WordPress.com – Step-by-Step Tutorial on How to Blog

Watch Creating a Free WordPress Blog – Tutorial for Beginners

Watch WordPress.com Tutorial [Part I of III], [Part II of III], and [Part III of III]

• Set up a WordPress.com account and choose a blog template.