3 Steps to Be as Brave and Free as “Taylor’s Version”

Embrace your authentic artistry no matter what.

Are you a Swiftie? Even if you’re not, hear me out because today, I will provide insights on how you can be as BRAVE and FREE as Taylor’s Version.

Taylor Swift became a symbol of artistic freedom when she decided to re-record her albums and call them Taylor’s Version. This was due to her songs being sold to someone else and not her when her contract came to an end.

The moment Taylor decided to re-record her albums, she knew the risks as the career of musicians before her have failed when they did the exact same thing.

Taylor numerously said on stage during the Eras Tour that she always thought Taylor’s Version would be “me thing, a personal thing.” Meaning, she didn’t expect fans to be so supportive, but they surprisingly were behind Taylor’s Version, and it became a huge success!

What Taylor did by deciding to re-record her albums was embracing the unknown, trusting the flow of life, and believing in herself that she is strong as an individual no matter where her career ends up going.

Taylor’s Version, to me, is an example of bravery and freedom. As an artist, storyteller, and writer, I strive to be as brave and free as she is, so I invite you to channel the spirit of Taylor’s Version with me today.

1. Develop Emotional Resilience

All artists have a trauma or painful story of sorts, and we tend to derive inspiration from our deepest wounds and fears to create something beautiful. That’s why you see a lot of artists lacking self-confidence, even if their work is considered one of the greatest.

Developing emotional resilience is crucial for navigating the ups and downs of your art, life, and growth. This starts with being mindful and noticing the triggers and pain that affect you the most.

As you become more mindful of your trauma, pain, and triggers, you get to develop healthy coping mechanisms to manage stress, disappointments, negativity, and setbacks. Engage in activities that promote emotional well-being.

For me, that’s meditation, mindfulness, and journaling; for some, it’s exercising, seeking therapy, or talking to trusted friends. Remember that negativity, setbacks, pain, trauma, and triggers are all opportunities for growth and learning.

As you become more mindful and find ways to cope with the negativity, resilience will take over, and you’ll come back even stronger, just as Taylor did.

2. Define Your Narrative

Taylor is known for taking back control of her own narrative. She doesn’t let anyone trick her into telling them what or who her songs are about.

There are always speculations and theories, but she feels powerful at the end of the day for “not naming any names,” as she said in one interview. And with Taylor’s Version, she’s taking back control of her own music and career in the most beautiful and powerful way.

Apply this principle to your life by taking a look at what stories you are telling yourself and what others put on you. This can also be viewed as who you are vs. who others think you are. The names you attach to yourself mainly come from your childhood or what others have imposed on you.

The first step is identifying all your limiting beliefs and narratives that may be holding you back from true freedom. An example could be someone who grew up watching their parents struggle with finances.

As an adult, that person would continue to tell the same story of how difficult it is to make money and be financially stable. It would be challenging to break out of that thinking pattern and explore other possibilities.

After breaking free from your internal limiting beliefs, you’ll notice that people around you are having trouble dissociating you from all the narratives you kept telling yourself and them for years. So, the second step is to break them out of that narrative too.

“The old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh! ’Cause she’s dead!”

But you’ll notice some people holding onto the older version of you as firmly as you did. If that’s the case, repeat the above lyric from Taylor Swift’s Reputation album and exchange Taylor’s name with yours.

It’s time to define your own narrative and claim your power. Challenge your story, change your limiting narratives, and rewrite them with the empowered and authentic you.

3. Take Ownership

Taylor’s decision to re-record her music proves that she decided to take ownership of not only her songs but also her life and career. She reclaimed her music and chose empowerment over victimhood.

Remember, if Taylor was crying in a room all day, blaming herself for not being able to buy the rights to her own music, we wouldn’t have Taylor’s Version or Eras Tour today.

Let this be your sign to take ownership of your own life by accepting past mistakes, decisions, actions, creations, and whatever it is that you need to accept in order to move forward.

It’s time to move past the mindset of victimhood, which means blaming the circumstances or someone else for something that we went through. As much as that could be true most of the time, it doesn’t matter anymore.

It’s your choice to accept what happened, learn from it, and move past it so that you can set yourself free. You have the opportunity to make new choices that align with who you are today and stop beating yourself up over something that happened months or years ago.

Just as Taylor couldn’t change the fact that her music was sold to someone else even though they knew she wanted to get her songs back and had the money and power to do so, you cannot change your past life.

What you can change is your future by taking ownership of yourself, your values, and your life, just as Taylor did when she blessed us with Taylor’s Version.

“Taylor’s Version” serves as a powerful reminder of reclaiming freedom and embracing bravery in the face of challenging circumstances. By following these 3 simple steps today, you can empower yourself to break free from the past you and embrace what lies ahead.

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Note: This post is not endorsed or affiliated with Taylor Swift or her music. It is solely intended to explore the themes of freedom and bravery inspired by her re-recording songs.

Did this help you with your journey of self-discovery? Consider supporting me, but regardless, I hope you continue to prioritize your mental health and do what you love -♡-