“Alright, one more thing,” my marketing coach told me. We’d just spent the hour talking through the stumbling blocks in my business, one that I enjoyed but found draining (marketing has never been my forté). I felt hopeful but weary.
“Your assignment is to write a manifesto before our next call…”
I’d never thought about writing a manifesto, and my eyes and energy lit up. I was so excited, however, that I apparently didn’t hear her say next, which was “max 1500 words.”
That night I sat down at my computer and pulled together all of the juicy ideas that had been running around at the edges of my creative life for months, if not years. I pulled together all of the pieces that had been deeply meaningful but lacked a container, or a way to be expressed. I felt like a mad scientist as years of ideas streamed together. Writing that first draft was so much fun that I practically cackled while I did it.
At the end of it, I had a draft of 18 pages, a synthesis of my idea that the creative life is essential for the development of the soul (you can read the latest version of it here — it’s no longer 18 pages, don’t worry).
When I turned it in and we met to talk about it, she said “Well, this blew my mind, but I think you missed my word count direction.”
Indeed I had. But even if I had heard it, I couldn’t have contained all that to 1500 words because there was so much to say.
That’s the power of a manifesto that comes from the heart. It’s got heat, and energy, and excitement, and it can help you define where you stand with clarity and verve.
Think of it like a mission statement on steroids; not the boring corporate version, but the kind that lets you really unwind and let it loose, to really stand for something without apology, to be flagrant, wild, emphatic, loud, even violent in your conviction about it.
And that’s what I invite you to do today.
What Is a Manifesto? A Guide for Personal and Creative Declaration
A manifesto is a declaration of intentions, motives, and views. The word itself comes from the Latin "manifestus," meaning clear or evident. Throughout history, manifestos have served as powerful tools for articulating bold visions, challenging existing systems (like political or social regimes), and calling people to action.
Manifestos don’t have to look any one way. They don’t have to be formal. They don’t have to “get right to the point.” They can meander, bring in stories, completely avoid research or lean heavily on it if you desire. This is a place to make a bold claim about what you believe, whether you have the citations to back it up or not.
Let’s look at a few examples.
In the The Futurist Manifesto, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti starts out intimately describing how the manifesto came about:
We have been up all night, my friends and I, beneath mosque lamps whose brass cupolas are bright as our souls, because like them they were illuminated by the internal glow of electric hearts. And trampling underfoot our native sloth on opulent Persian carpets, we have been discussing right up to the limits of logic and scrawling the paper with demented writing.
You can see that Marinetti enjoyed playing with language and imagery here. He was in no hurry to come to a conclusion.
In contrast, other manifestos might get right to the point, as in the Bauhaus Manifesto:
The ultimate aim of all visual arts is the complete building! To embellish buildings was once the noblest function of the fine arts; they were the indispensable components of great architecture. Today the arts exist in isolation, from which they can be rescued only through the conscious, cooperative effort of all craftsmen. Architects, painters, and sculptors must recognize anew and learn to grasp the composite character of a building both as an entity and in its separate parts. Only then will their work be imbued with the architectonic spirit which it has lost as “salon art.”
This opening asserted the ultimate aim and the main problem as they see it, all in one paragraph.
We can start out with the problem as we see it, as in The Theater of Cruelty:
We cannot go on prostituting the idea of theater whose only value is in its excruciating, magical relation to reality and danger.
Put in this way, the question of the theater ought to arouse general attention, the implication being that theater, through its physical aspect, since it requires expression in space (the only real expression, in fact), allows the magical means of art and speech to be exercised organically and altogether, like renewed exorcisms. The upshot of all this is that theater will not be given its specific powers of action until it is given its language.
We can start with bombastic, outlandish claims:
The Essence of a Manifesto
At its core, a manifesto contains a clear and powerful declaration. While it may take artistic turns to get there, it is unequivocally making a claim. It plants a flag. It says, "This is what I believe, and this is why it matters. This is the hill I’m ready to die on." This declarative quality gives manifestos their distinctive energy and impact.
A manifesto describes the world as you want it to be, whether that’s the world as you know it or the world at large. It dreams of a future and does not feel the need to justify that future, or prop it up with evidence or citations. It declares boldly “THIS IS WHAT I WANT. THIS IS WHAT I SEE.”
It operates in the space between what is and what could be, creating tension that inspires action. Whether it’s kept personal or created and shared with the public, a manifesto articulates values and principles that guide decisions and actions.
Throughout history, manifestos have shaped art, politics, and culture. The Communist Manifesto transformed political thought. The Futurist Manifesto revolutionized artistic expression. The Declaration of Independence established a new nation. While these examples operate on a grand scale, personal manifestos can be equally transformative within the scope of an individual life.
The Scope and Timeline of Manifestos
Personal manifestos can vary widely in their scope and timeline:
Short-term manifestos might focus on a specific goal or project. Let’s say you’re trying to write a book. Your manifesto might declare what you see your book doing, the need for it, the unabashed visions you have for what it will do in the world. If you’re an artist, you might write a manifesto for a particular collection or exhibition. These time-bound manifestos help create focus and clarity during a defined period, and when your motivation flags you can return to it and remember what sparked your fire in the first place.
Mid-range manifestos often speak to seasons of life or extended projects. You may not know they are mid-range manifestos when you write it; it might feel very of-the-moment and then their meaning and resonance fades over time. They might articulate how you want to approach your thirties, or how you intend to build a business over several years.
Lifelong manifestos express enduring commitments and values. These are the principles you hope to embody throughout your life, the truths you hold as foundational to who you are and how you move through the world. They can still change and adapt, the way they’re written or expressed may evolve, but the statement of values will change very little.
You can have a manifesto for your business, your family, your spiritual life. It doesn’t have to be limited to any one area, either. All it has to accomplish for you is to inspire your passion and clearly declare what you believe and are willing to work toward.
What Makes a Manifesto Effective?
An effective manifesto possesses several key qualities:
Clarity: It expresses ideas in direct, unambiguous language. We don’t say things like “the evidence suggests” in a manifesto. We declare. A manifesto doesn't hedge or equivocate.
Conviction: It communicates genuine belief and commitment. A manifesto speaks with authority, not apology. The beliefs within the manifesto are strongly held and that is made clear through the language and emotion.
Concreteness: It grounds abstract principles in specific examples or applications. A manifesto connects big ideas to everyday life and serves serves as a touchstone during times of doubt or confusion.
Courage: It takes risks and challenges conventions. A manifesto isn't afraid to push boundaries or question assumptions. It creates accountability for living according to your stated principles.
Your Turn: Creating Your Manifesto
Now that I have you convinced, you’re going to write your own manifesto.
It doesn't need to be lengthy; some of the most powerful are quite brief. What matters is that it clearly articulates what you stand for and why it matters. It should feel both aspirational and authentic, stretching you toward your best self while remaining true to who you are.
Whether you're creating a manifesto for your creative work, your business approach, or your personal values, remember that a true manifesto doesn't just describe, it declares. And in that declaration and action lies its power to transform not just the world around you, but your own life as well.
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I read all your substacks. And I think this is my favorite among favorites. What do we know in out deepest parts and how can we declare them for others to learn from or create their own. Thank you for this. Opening my notebook now.......