The Case for Taste

Welcome to Creatives Anonymous, a weekly newsletter that explores what it means to be a modern-day creative through essays, interviews, and commentary.

Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.

We need to talk about taste. 

As a society, we’ve become so concerned with vanity and perception. We’d rather chase clout and social acceptance rather than have a deep understanding of who we are. 

Everything we do, buy, and consume has to be “social media approved.” We’re trying to live the same life as everyone else, from the types of homes we live in to the clothing we purchase. 

What this trend tells us is that we have become devoid of taste. 

Taste is the essence of our identity and personality. It tells the world everything about who you are, what you value, and how you see the world. 

When we think of taste, we often associate it with fashion. However, it extends beyond that to encompass media, culture, design, and more. 

Our taste is reflected in the clothing we wear, the design of our homes, the media we consume, our interests, and our opinions. 

There is a common misconception that having more money equates to having better taste. That couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Because “more” and “more expensive” don’t always mean better. 

No amount of money can buy you good taste. Because taste doesn’t come from things; it comes from who you are. 

The irony is that the more people try to show that they have good taste, the tackier they appear. It’s always the people who feel the need to flaunt their wealth who lack taste. 

Because they’re the ones who get caught up in constantly copying others rather than forging their own path. 

And all it does is make you boring. 

Developing taste means getting vulnerable and in tune with yourself. Knowing one’s taste is knowing oneself. It’s developing a sense of identity, something you can’t do if you’re copying others all the time. 

You can’t develop taste if you don’t know yourself. You’re letting other people dictate who you should be and what you should be into instead of finding out what that is for yourself.  

Developing your taste means discovering who you are beyond others’ opinions. 

But it also means having an opinion. The people who have taste have opinions. On everything. 

Developing opinions comes from getting curious and trying new things. It means getting outside your comfort zone. It means being more open-minded. 

Taste comes from enjoying things and taking inspiration from them.

When we follow our creative compulsions to the fullest, it reveals our deep values. We can examine our habits, values, and what is important to us. This helps us to decide who we are and what we want. 

The coolest people are the ones with the best taste. And it’s because they have a range of interests and hobbies. They can discuss anything with anyone because they have some knowledge about a wide range of topics. 

The more interesting you are, the better your taste is across everything—fashion, culture, design, and media. 

Good taste is also a mark of intelligence. When you have taste, you can read between the lines and make connections across subjects and genres that others can’t.  

To improve your taste, improve what you’re consuming and doing. 

Taste isn’t something we’re born with; it’s something we develop through our own life experiences. 

The more life experiences you have, the easier it is to develop taste and that sense of identity. 

When we chase external validation, we become caught up in perceived perfectionism. When we chase internal validation, that’s where we find authenticity. 

Creative Corner

• 🎞️ What I’m Consuming: MARINA’s new EP. So good. 

• 💡 What I’m Loving: I’ve hopped on the back camera selfie trend—it reminds me of the point-and-shoot camera selfie days. 

• 🎨 What I’m Working On: I learned how to make chocolate truffles over the weekend, and now I’m itching to experiment, specifically with boozy truffles 

• 💭 Weekly Musing:

Thank you 💕

If you liked this newsletter, I’d love it if you could forward it to someone who you think would like it, too!

I’m so grateful for all of your support!

Alexa Phillips is a writer, brand strategist, and multi-passionate creative. She is the founder of Bright Eyes Creative, a Seattle-based brand consultancy and media company that helps founder-led consumer brands and creatives design brand experiences and media.

Where to find me:

• Learn more about my services 

• Listen to my recent podcast episodes.

• Follow along as I build Culture Slant, a new magazine + podcast at the intersection of brand, marketing, media, culture, commerce, and technology.

• Join Write Club, free weekly 90-minute co-writing sessions dedicated to helping you knock out all the content you have to write for your business.

• Book a Brand Tune-Up, a free 45-minute brand and business audit geared toward helping you get inspired, re-energized, and courageously make the next leap in your business.