Do you realize that when people gather in groups a lot of the conversation is centred around entertainment; movies, TV, sports, social media etc. Like we literally bond over mutual love for certain kinds of entertainment. You have to wonder, why? Why is entertainment such a huge part of our existence.
You have been tricked into thinking you like entertainment because you are bored and are seeking escape from your life, but in reality; as humans, we were created with an addiction to stories, it is the part of us that is most like God, we love to see patterns unfold.
Gossip is as old as human civilization, long before there was broadcast television, we entertained ourselves with the lives of those around us, telling stories of our neighbours, of great men of conquest and so on. The definition of content encompasses all forms of broadcasted communication, from the movie you are watching to the life you live everyday.
Now you have realized you are a content creator, what next? Well Kings are rich. Let’s back track a bit – We bond over certain kinds of content because in them, we see stories that we resonate with, whether in our reality or in our dreams. When we meet someone who resonates with these stories we know we share either a reality or a dream with the person.
The stories that are broadcast farthest are those that portray a shared reality, these stories are more temporal, fleeting. The stories that are most powerful are those that portray a shared dream; stories that capture the imagination and heart and make it real.
You would rate someone higher in your mind if you find that you loved the same movies as kids. Way higher than you would someone who laughed at the same skit you did on social media. All forms of content bring money, depending on how good it is. So what makes content good? Knowing exactly what you want to say!
When the vision is clearly articulated, it is easier to be heard, seen and understood; and it all begins with the story. The creator must be completely clear on what the story is supposed to do to the hearts and minds of people. After that, the creator must choose carefully, the way the story is told, the decision of how to tell the story is as important as the story itself.
When the story is good, and the story world is entertaining, you capture the minds and hearts of people, they literally give you their attention and love. Attention + love = money . Content is the only thing that can give an unlimited stream of attention and love, So yeah, the king is rich. Content is king because it creates itself, it does not need money or the attention of others to exist. Whether you are using your life story or not, it doesn’t stop it from happening. Life itself is the power behind the creation of content.
Now that we understand what content really is, and why it gives money. Let’s talk about tapping in, and where God comes into the picture.
God is a content creator. I don’t have to convince you, you can see it in the fact that we are all literally living out our independent stories and a collective story. I know because you are human like me, there are times you’ll have thoughts like: “what if life was like this? “ or “what if my life just went this direction?” . In that moment, one of God’s stories has captured your attention. You literally noticed a story playing in your mind’s screen and it caught your attention.
So you watch the story and you go like “hmmmm….I like this is”; In real life, that thought plays out as actual actions you take towards achieving this vision/dream you have seen. This is where the real entertainment is, you make moves, God watches. if God is happy with what he/she sees, if God is entertained; the story is explored further, more stories are built from it. The more time that is spent in this creation/entertainment relationship, the deeper the bond. The easier it is for you and God to fall in love with the same stories, literally getting to know each other, a friendship based on content.
What makes you fall in love with a story? It’s the character or characters. They remind you of a part of yourself. The most powerful characters remind us of who we could be. You watch the character overcome obstacles and achieve milestones and you know that they think like you, feel like you, see what you have seen, if it is possible for them, it is possible for you. When they go through pain, you feel it because you know what that is like.
The stronger the character, the more powerful the story. I don’t mean physical strength, I mean how defined, how encompassing. How much of our collective nature is shown in the character, how much of our collective dream the character carries.
I personally loved Harry Potter growing up, and although I don’t remember a single word he spoke, I remember what he was about; his struggles, his pain and his dream. When you fall in love with a character, you hear the story the writer intended, no words needed. It is the purest form of communication.
When God falls in love with your story and character, he hears what your heart is saying, it’s a secret he hid there before he wrote the rest of you. A secret he has always known. Imagine how a parent feels when their child opens a gift. Remember how it feels when you are watching a movie and the lead character discovers a power/ strength within themselves and you just know stuff is about to get crazy.
All the great stories we follow, from Jesus’s story, to Game of thrones, to Legend of the seeker, to soccer are all built on this archetype. A character overcomes challenges and learns a secret about themselves that takes them to a new level. It’s not random that the stories that resonate with us the most are the ones that copy God’s character building style.
As a content creator that you are, the only way to create real content is to be entertained by your story, that’s how you can retell it. Be entertained by your own personality, your own condition, your own circumstance, your own experiences. Let your life remind you of who you are, that’s how you give attention.
Let the pain touch your heart, let your own life story inspire the same desire, magic and wonder in you that other people’s stories inspire. That’s how you fall in love
Attention + love = money. When you love the story enough, you’ll want to share it, at that point it wouldn’t be a half baked story, it will be complete because you love it. When people hear this story, it will resonate with them because it will remind them of their own inner character, help them remember their own stories and by extension restore their creative relationship with God.
Content is king, it is tapping directly into the source of all things while being entertained. Content deserves all our money