Neverson: Please be advised that all that you’ll hear will come directly from me and me alone. I did not conduct any research. So, it will simply be based off my own personal experiences, values, and beliefs. So do not take it as facts. I repeat, do not take it as facts. Thank you.

Hello. Today’s date is August 26, 2026. I’m happy to be publishing this episode around this time as it marks the first anniversary of this podcast show. Yay. Just a year ago, exactly on August 3rd of 2025, I started this podcast show. And now looking back, I am proud of the growth. Of course, not just here, but across all the other shows. I started this podcast show as a simple journal entry to document my creative journey. And since then, it has gradually evolved into something much bigger. And over the past year, I’ve not only I have not only continued to develop this podcast show, but I’ve also had the opportunity to create additional shows that each explore different ideas while contributing to my main goal of becoming a storyteller with a generalist skill set. Upon reflecting on this anniversary, I think what stands out the most is the consistency and the growth behind all the episodes.

So, every written script recorded audio, lessons learned, and every challenge has gradually set the foundation for all future episodes to follow. And when the next when the next episode is published, I will be setting a new record for the number of episodes published in a single year for this specific show. I’m currently tied for the record set last year, which is six episodes. To me, the number itself isn’t what matters, but instead it highlights that I’ve maintained my principles of striving towards meaningful progress. which is a result of showing up consistently, remaining curious, and continuing to learn and improve over time. And one of the things that I’ve come to appreciate is how these projects have started supporting one another. The skills that I’ve developed through podcasting has influenced my writing. My research has improved my storytelling. Experimenting with music has changed how I think about emotion and pacing. Uh, my artwork has shaped the way I communicate ideas.

And my video projects has challenged me to be more intentional about minimalism. presentation. And one final thing before we move on to the project update section. You might have noticed that unlike all previous episodes, there was an introduction to begin today’s episode. This introduction will be included across all other shows as to connect them into a single channel. This has been a plan of mine for some time now. I’ve been looking to create a unified identity between all the different shows similar to the way I have it set up with my video and art projects. The reason for this is that I don’t want the show to feel completely separate or like distant projects under my name. But instead, I wanted I want them to feel like individual parts of a larger creator body of work. Beyond the introductions, um everything will remain the same. So, each show will have its own identity, format, unique ideas to explore.

So, this is just the first step on establishing the connection between them all. Now moving on to project updates. I wanted to provide an update to an ongoing major project which which is the teaser video for the upcoming short film Disconnected part one. At this point I have the official title of the video which is called Igniting the Creative Spark to start. While the original goal of the project was to promote was to promote the short film. The project gradually developed into something much more motivational and documentary. Rather than scrapping the project and starting over again, I have decided to embrace it for what it has become and add little bits of promotional elements. here and there. And with regards to the completion of this video project, I had estimated that it will be completed by the end of July, but it’s not yet complete. While I was on vacation during the last week of July, the week did not go as I planned.

So, I have been readjusting my schedule to complete it as soon as possible rather than later. So, currently speaking, there is no estimated completion date, but I will continue to share updates about this project per episode. The next update I would like to share is on the podcast side of things. Since the last episode, I’ve continued making steady progress across some shows. I’m happy to say that I’ve now published two episodes for the show Signals from the Venture. Uh, which has given me the opportunity to continue experimenting with, um, AI assisted music and songwriting. I’m really happy with how the show is beginning to develop. I feel like each episode is helping me to better understand the creative uh, process behind the music. I’ve also published a second episode of the show, Questions and Confessions. I’m really happy how the show is beginning to take shape.

While it’s still very early in its uh experimental phase, the first two episodes has given me clear idea where I’ll like to take the show. As for the rest of the other shows, the objective is to continue to build on their foundations through experiments. At the moment, some shows only have their introductory episodes that establish their purpose. But these episodes don’t fully represents what the show will eventually become. So in order for me to accurately assess and improve them, I’ll need to create more episodes to further explore and see what works and what doesn’t. As for the recap of the previous episode, it focus on my qualifications as a beginner artist. The objective was to be a little more transparent about my qualifications or more accurately my lack of credentials as an artist. It was important for me to share and equip listeners with the necessary information to determine how much weight they should give my recommendations and suggestions.

This is because I want listeners to understand that the advice is coming from someone who is still learning, experimenting, and developing their skills. And with that in mind, I also reflected on some of the unique advantages that I have as a result of being self-taught and still early in their creative journey. Now, with regards to today’s episode, I’ve decided to approach it from an observational lens and share some interesting insight that you may find helpful. As I’ve continued creating and researching across different creative discipline, I’ve started to notice some recurrent patterns that show up across different industries. These recurrent patterns have brought me back to some of the unanswered question I had as a kid. As I’ve gotten older, the increased access to information through social media, podcasts, documentaries, and behind the-scenes content has really helped me to connect some dots and start ident identifying the patterns.

And before I continue, I just want to make it clear that these are for my personal observation, which means they’re not factually based. I’m just providing a simplified framework that helps to identify and explain the patterns. Back to these recurrent patterns. As I’ve continued observing them, I’ve organized them into nine stages just to make sense of what I’ve been seeing. To be specific and clear, these patterns can be found across movies, television, music, podcasts, sports, social media, and the content creators in those spaces. I’ll be using examples from each of these areas throughout the nine stages to help to create a picture of the cycle. And one final thing before I start, instead of saying an idea, a style, a format, or personality as a way to highlight something new and different, I’ll just say an idea to simplify things. For stage one, I will call it as underground emergence. This is where an idea begins to develop. underground outside of mainstream attention.

It may start with a small group of people, a local community, or individual creators experimenting with something different. At this point, there’s no monetary incentives as it is primarily driven by curiosity, passion, self-expression, or it’s just genuine interest. Music will be the easiest example to draw from. So, picture a new music genre or subgenre that begins with new artists combining sounds and instruments or cultural influences in a way do not that do not fit a familiar category. This stage is important because it does not yet have social proof which means there’s a lot of room for experimentation. In other words, there are little to no rules to follow, expectations to manage, or even sponsors to satisfy. While this stage offers complete freedom, it also comes with disadvantages like smaller audience, limited resources, and inconsistent quality. For stage two, it is called standing out.

This is where the idea has developed enough of an identity that it begins to separate itself from everything around it. Examples in this stage could be a content creator with a unique personality, a presentation style, or just a way of interacting with the audience. An example in sports could be a young player with an unusual playing style or a technique that looks different from what other players typically do. In podcast, ing. It may be a show with a unique format or topics that makes it different from other shows. At this stage, the difference is the value as it is easily recognizable amongst all other things. For stage three, it is called gaining attention and this is where people begin noticing, discussing, recommending and validating the idea through their own interests and engagement. At this point, the attention might still be small compared to mainstream, but there’s now visible evidence that the idea could go beyond the niche, the small niche community. Evidence can be seen through audience growth, word of mouth, reviews, ticket sales, streams, views, championships, awards, and many other. And this is where social proof begins to accumulate and amplify the growth. As you’re aware, people do not make every decision independently, but instead they do it based on what other people are paying attention to, especially when they’re uncertain whether it’s worth their time. Examples in this case could be a movie that starts generating a lot of discussion, leading more people to watch it. For television, it could be a show that begins attracting a large audience because people are recommending it. For social media, it could be a creator or a trend that starts receiving more views, comments, shares and followers showing that more people are paying attention to it. For stage four, it is called imitation. This is where the success becomes visible and attainable. So other people begin studying for what is working behind the idea.

This means some people begin observing and studying while some are just inspired and some are just following the money or attention. As the audience grows and the potential for popularity and financial rewards become more real. The motivation behind creating gradually changes. Artists in this stage may start to experiment less and focus more on what is already succeeding. They may start to adopt similar sounds, styles, formats, or a personality that attracts a wider audience and generates bigger results. Successful movies are a great example in this stage. Movie cinematic universes with interconnected storytelling have proven to be very valuable based on the amount of money it has produced. Based off that success, other rival studios have developed their own interconnected stories. In television, networks may create shows based on a successful format or a visual style. And on social media, creators may create popular content styles or trends to gain similar attention and engagement.

For stage five, it is called professionalization. This is where the idea is no longer treated as a niche, but as a legitim commercially valuable opportunity. Businesses, agencies, networks, investors, sponsors, institutions, and established professionals begin getting involved and building structures around it. At this point, the idea is now part of a larger industry where the money, the resources, and the professional system surrounding it become more significant. This means that the creator is given access to all the resources, but they’re also given more expectations and face more pressures from investors, contracts, deadlines, performance targets, budgets, and brand partnerships. The focus is no longer about creating and experimenting interesting things, but consistently reproducing works that attract and retain a wide audience. Podcasting is a great example in this stage.

It was strongly associated with independent creators at one point, but upon success and social proof, and develop into a major media business with podcast networks, advertising systems, subscriptions, studios, and celebrity shows. While this transition did not eliminate independent creators, it moved them outside of the main space resulting in the majority of the shows becoming professionalized. For stage six, it is called standardization. This is where the idea has been extensively researched and simplified into successful practices or formula. for more efficient production and risk reduction. This results in best practices, templates, recommended lengths, expected structures and podcast and production pipelines. At this point, companies have invested a large amount of money into the space that it raises the baseline quality for the entire space.

Examples in this stage could be if a podcast network learns that a certain production process consistently produced is clear audio and a reliable publishing schedule, then they would standardize that process. In sports, if a particular strategy consistently produces better results, then a majority of teams will standardize that strategy. In social media, if a video format is easier for audience to understand, then content creators will standardize that format. For stage seven, it is called becoming generic. This is where the idea becomes highly reproduced that the original elements gets lost in the process. This means that the surface level elements remain but the deeper elements that made the original meaningful and unique are no longer present. So, by this point people recognize the idea without understanding where it came from, why it was created and what made it meaningful in the first place.

This happens as a result of the idea passing through too many creators and companies as well as being build up for a wider audience. Examples in this stage could be movie sequels. A successful movie may have a unique story, characters, themes, or a creative vision that strongly connects with people. Over time, multiple sequels are created to capitalize on that success. But that same success gradually diminishes because the focus shifts from what made the original movie special to simply maintaining the recognizable characters, formula, or brand. For stage eight, it is called oversaturation. This is where people have seen too many versions of the idea that the difference that originally attracted attention no longer feels different. They have become too aware of the hooks, the clickbait, the franchise setup, or just following the trend that they can often predict the pattern before it happens.

At this point, popularity is gradually declining due to fatigue and distrust, but the response is quiet. People may not complain or openly reject what they’re seeing. Instead, they stop clicking. They stop watching. They stop listening, sharing, or just engaging as much as they did before. And what once felt fresh now feels all the same and engineered. Superhero movies are a strong examples in this stage. After years of successful superhero movies, interconnected universes, origin stories, and postredit scenes, Some people began experiencing fatigue. The formula became familiar enough that many could predict what was coming. For social media, short form video trends became quickly oversaturated when most creators used the same hook, the same editing style, sound or format. What initially felt creative quickly became repetitive once thousands of people reproduced it. For stage nine, it is called counter movement.

This is where people begin looking for something indifferent in response to the oversaturated feel of the existing idea. As people get tired of the predictable and repetitive elements, independent artists and niche communities begin experimenting with alternatives. The goal isn’t about rejecting the mainstream, but to move in a different creative direction. This involves returning to older ideas, creating something more honest, experimental, or simply different enough to break away from the mainstream formula. For music, this could be independent artists creating new sounds or bringing back older styles that feel different from what currently dominates the charts. In movies, filmmakers may move away from the established formula and focus more on smaller original stories. And on social media, creators intentionally avoid popular trends and develop more personal and unconventional forms of content.

And this is where the cycle eventually returns back to stage one, starting the cycle all over again. For this next section, I’ll like to focus on why this cycle happens. As I mentioned earlier, I had a lot of questions about everything I saw on TV as a kid. And because I didn’t have the knowledge to understand or identify what I was seeing, I simply left it as unanswered questions. Today, access to information is easily accessible. And this same cycle appears to be moving faster than ever before. Because of that, it has become easier to spot these recurrent patterns and fill in the blank. or my unanswered questions. To keep it short and simple, people are naturally drawn to things that are familiar but feel different. When something different captures attention, it creates value in that space. And once people see that value, others try to recreate it.

Over time, that idea becomes more common, more refined, more accessible until it becomes so familiar that people start looking for the next thing that feels new. Other factors that contribute to the cycle are all that Visible success reduces uncertainty. Once people see that an idea is working, it reduces the uncertainty and most importantly the risk. This makes it safer to adopt, to imitate, and to eventually standardize. Additionally, social media platforms have made success more visible and easier to copy. This allows creators and companies to see what is performing well through views, likes, shares, followers, ranking, and other forms of engagement. As a result, fault. Successful ideas can be identified and reproduced much faster, unlike the past where it took months or even years. Now, based on everything that I said thus far, which has been entirely negative, I want to briefly talk about the positive side of this cycle. There are several benefits that this cycle includes.

One of the biggest positive is accessibility. When an idea succeeds, more people become aware of it, which eventually leads to further exposure to people who might never ever have discovered it. Another benefit is investment. Once an idea proves that there is an audience for it, more money and resources are invested towards it. This can give creators access to better equipment, professional teams, larger budgets, distribution, and just better opportunities overall. The cycle can also create room for new ideas to emerge. When a particular style or format becomes successful, it can inspire people to experiment with their own versions. and potentially develop something different from the original. So from my perspective, even though the cycle leads to things like imitation, standardization, and oversaturation, it also helps niche ideas reach larger groups of people, give financial stability for creators, and provides a foundation for whatever comes next.

After reflecting on all of this, I think the biggest takeaway for me isn’t that the cycle is either good or bad, but it seems to be a natural consequence of how ideas spread, evolve, and eventually make room for something new. I wanted to cover this cycle because it increases awareness and understanding of the recurrent patterns that exist across different industries. As both an artist and a consumer, it helps to know where I am in this cycle and how I can remain grounded in the principles that define my own creative work. After all, it can be very easy to gradually lose sight of the reason I started creating and become more focused on creating what gains the most attention and success. As the consumer. It helps to recognize the difference between something that is truly genuine and something disguised as genuine lacking individuality. To be clear, not everything that becomes popular is necessarily bad. Just as independence and difference doesn’t automatically make it better.

The key takeaway here is to have a better understanding of the forces behind what we consume and create. Because it can help us make more informed decisions about what we choose to create, to support, to watch, to listen to. and to engage with. The goal is not to avoid the cycle, but to avoid losing yourself inside of it. And one final thing before I close this episode. I talked a lot about the cycle like it’s absolute, automatic, and follows a predictable path, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Like I mentioned earlier, this is purely based off my personal observations that were then translated into a simplified framework to showcase and explain the stages. But in reality, things are much more complicated. Not every idea will go through all nine stages and some may skip stages, some may move backwards, some may remain in one stage for a long time and some may disappear entirely.

It is also important to note that different industries also have their own circumstances like their own audience, business models and just different factors that influence how an idea develops. All in all, um there is too many many variables to consider. Whether you agree or disagree with my interpretation, I hope that at the very least it gives you something to think about the next time you see an idea become popular, get copied, go mainstream, become oversaturated, and eventually make room for something new. Thank you for listening, and until next time, take care.