The best way to create content is to steal (here's how)

I’ve been tweeting for over 380+ days now.

During that time, I’ve spent a lot of time staring at a blank screen — with no content ideas for the day. I had to fix this. Fortunately, I found a solution. After using it over the last 8 months, it has helped me generate an almost endless idea-generation system.

No more staring into the abyss!

But in order for me to explain this new system to you, I need to tell you something:

I’m a thief.

Now I know how this sounds, but please hold on. Don’t dial 911 yet! Give me a chance to explain, okay?

As a law-abiding citizen, when you first think of the word, its negative connotation comes to mind; robbery. This is far from it. What I’m about to show you is legal. In fact, I’m certain you won’t find your future self dressed in an orange jumpsuit and behind steel bars after using it.

The concept I’m about to explain is called creative stealing — as in you’re about to become a creathief (cool name, right?).

I haven’t sent you a letter in a while because of reasons I’ll explain more about in a future letter, but I have an update for you right now:

1. This week, I’ll be switching mailing platforms from beehiiv to convertkit — for better deliveries. So expect a new format in the letters, and one more thing:

2. In Mid-March, I’ll be launching a coaching program to help creators, like you, have a better growth experience on Twitter. This includes modules dedicated to teaching you how to:

• Clarify your brand

• Attract attention to it

• Convert that attention to profits

• …and much more stuff in-between

Over the next 3 weeks, I’ll host 6 Twitter spaces and open the waitlist for the program. It’s a paid event, but it will be affordable; impact is the goal, not income.

I hope to see you inside. Now, let’s get back into our value bomb:

So Easy it should be Illegal

When I first tested this new model, I was unconscious of what I was getting into (Classic entrepreneur tale).

First, I modelled the content of big Twitter accounts like WrongsToWrite and GrammarHippy

Second, I made new content out of their best stuff — by adding my voice to it.

Lastly, I repeated it across multiple accounts.

The End. That’s it. This technique is so easy to use that I’m forced to scream the very words I hate:

IT IS SO GOOD IT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL

Don’t tell anyone I said that haha.

I didn’t stop there. I looked up the greatest writers (and artists) of all time, and shortly after I realised my monkey-see, monkey-do trick wasn’t a new thing. Some artists called it “taking inspiration“ and others claimed nothing was original.

“What is originality? Undetected plagiarism.” —William Ralph Inge

Why do creators build up their work on already-existing good stuff?

In order to explain that, look at this research study:

In 1999, an Israeli research team gathered a pile of award-winning, highly regarded ads. On close inspection, they found 89% of these ads followed 6 templates.

Out of curiosity, the team got 3 groups of people — who had never written a word of copy.

Group 1 understood the goal of the ad and was left to work with no training. When they finished, their instructor selected the best 15 ads and tested them on consumers. The data returned, and the consumers found these ads to be annoying.

Group 2 got a different treatment — they received 2 hours of formal training from an experienced creativity instructor. In the end, the instructor, once again, picked and tested the best 15 from the group of consumers. This time consumers found it less annoying but no more creative than group 1.

The last group was certainly not the least. They received a 2-hour training on how to use those 6 successful templates. The result? Their ads were 50% more creative and triggered a 55% response to the products advertised.

This short story makes one thing clear: success leaves clues.

And our job, my friend, is to steal those clues.

“It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take them to.” — Jean Luc-Godard

Introducing the 6-R

That being said, it’s time to make you a worthy creathief. There are 6 simple steps in total — I like to call them the 6R:

1. Research and Recognise

2. Rewrite

3. Review

4. Reuse

5. Repeat

6. Rejoice

If you master these, you’ll never struggle with getting ideas for your content again. Enough talk, let’s dive in.

Step 1: Research and Recognise

“Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that fuels your imagination. Devour films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, random conversations, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only what speaks to your soul to steal. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable. Originality is non-existent.” — Jim Jarmusch

As newborns, we knew nothing, but over time, we learned bit by bit — through observation.

Humans are basically intelligent monkeys.

Deep down in us lies the monkey-like tendency to see and do. This behaviour also applies to creating content. Your ability to create depends on the quality of what you consume.

In this stage, we aren’t just consuming anything the world brings our way. We are specifically looking for what you enjoy consuming.

It’s difficult to understand exactly what your interests are at the start, but it is possible to get closer to it — by consuming more of what we enjoy.

In this stage, you have 3 things to do:

• Find what you like

• Save it

• Move to the next step:

Step 2: Rewrite

You spotted something interesting. Your inner voice is probably muttering the words: “…damn, I wish I wrote that“.

Newsflash: You can! In fact, you can make it better. Rewrite it and make it yours.

PS: If you’re attentive, you’ll understand that this is where the real creaTHIEVity begins.

Next, let’s confirm if this was worth the steal.

Step 3: Review

You just stole. Congrats. Now, it’s time to confirm if this was worth your while. This is where you test your idea and see if it works.

If you hate the result, it’s time to place it where it belongs: the trash. If you like the results, it’s time to lean into it.

Step 4: Reuse

If your steal pleased you, it’s time for the logical next step — reuse. It worked before, so there is a high tendency for it does again.

Use these frameworks to multiply our home run 6 times:

• Story

• Analysis

• Question

• Observation

• Actionable tip

• Contrary opinion

If you think repeating the same message over and over makes it boring, think again. In 2021, Spotify told me I listened to Bea Miller’s “That Bitch“ 337 times — and I don’t even like music that much!

To add: A research study showed that we need to see something 7 times before we get to understand it. I heard Alex Hormozi say the words “Outwork your self-doubt “ so many times, but I truly understood what it meant 6 days ago. Crazy.

Do your audience a favour and remind them more than you teach them.

PS: If you want to go hardcore, take the message to other platforms. This way you can reach more people with almost 0 effort.

Step 5 & 6: Repeat & Rejoice

Keep using the system and gain pleasure from the experience. As with all good things, you’ll get better over time the more you use it.

In no time, you’ll be a top-tier thief. Writer’s block will have nothing on you.

———

I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did making it for you.

Over the next 20 days, a majority of my time will go into building out this coaching program. So, I’ll be increasing the price of the 1-on-1 consultation offer by 50%.

If you’ve been sitting on the fence unsure of where your brand is going this year, you can grab a 60-min clarity call with me right now for just $199 (the old price).

After 5 people grab it, it will jump up by 50%.

I look forward to speaking with you.