How to Build Your soul.md — A Creator's Operating File

TL;DR — Your soul.md is a markdown file that defines who you are as a creator across 7 dimensions: Energy, Mind, Craft, Voice, Capital, Circle, and Legacy. You fill it honestly, review it weekly, and update it monthly. It becomes your creative compass. Here is exactly how to build one.

What Is soul.md?

If you use Claude Code, you know about CLAUDE.md — the configuration file that tells AI how to work with your project. Your soul.md is the same concept, but for your life as a creator.

It is a plain markdown file. It lives in your home directory. It contains your honest self-assessment across 7 dimensions. And it serves one purpose: keeping you aligned with who you are becoming, not just who you are today.

# soul.md — Your GenCreator Operating File

## Identity

- Name: Frank Riemer
- Craft: AI Architecture + Music + Content
- Stack: Claude, Suno, n8n, Next.js, Vercel
- Mission: Ship daily. Compound relentlessly.

The 7 Dimensions

1. Energy

Your creative output is directly proportional to your energy management. This dimension tracks:

• Peak hours — When are you most creative? Protect those hours.
• Movement practice — Physical activity is not optional for sustained creation.
• Recovery ritual — How do you recharge? What stops burnout?
• Score (1-10) — Be honest. If you are burned out, that is a 3.

Scoring guide:

• 1-3: Burnout cycles, no routine, reactive to energy levels
• 4-6: Some routine, inconsistent, occasional crashes
• 7-9: Optimized peak hours, regular movement, proactive recovery
• 10: Sustainable machine — you can ship daily without burning out

2. Mind

Learning velocity is a GenCreator superpower. This dimension tracks:

• Currently learning — What specific skill or domain?
• Books this month — Reading compounds. Track it.
• Mental model I use most — Compounding? First principles? Leverage?
• Learning velocity (1-10) — How fast are you applying what you learn?

The difference between consuming and learning is application. If you read about prompt engineering but never write a prompt, your Mind score is low.

3. Craft

This is the core — your primary skill and how deeply you have developed it.

• Primary skill — One thing. What is your main craft?
• Secondary skills — What stacks with your primary?
• Current project — What are you shipping right now?
• Craft score (1-10) — How deep is your expertise?

GenCreators have a skill stack: complementary skills that amplify each other. AI architecture + music production + content writing is a stack. Each skill makes the others more valuable.

4. Voice

The hardest dimension for most creators. Your voice is your unique perspective — the thing that makes your work distinctly yours.

• My perspective on — What topic do you have a strong opinion about?
• What I would say if no one judged — Your most honest creative statement.
• Writing style in 3 words — How does your voice sound?
• Voice clarity (1-10) — Can people recognize your work without seeing your name?

A 10 here means you have a voice so distinct that people can identify your work blind. Most creators start at 3-4.

5. Capital

Creativity without revenue is a hobby. Capital tracks your financial sustainability.

• Revenue streams — Products, consulting, content, sponsorships?
• Monthly target — What do you need to sustain full-time creation?
• Highest-leverage activity — What single activity generates the most value?
• Financial health (1-10) — Can you create without financial anxiety?

The GenCreator framework emphasizes leverage — digital products, automated systems, and compounding assets over trading time for money.

6. Circle

No creator succeeds alone. Circle tracks your relationships and community.

• Mentors — Who do you learn from? (Can be people you follow, not just personal mentors)
• Peers — Who are you building alongside?
• Community I serve — Who benefits from your work?
• Network strength (1-10) — Do you have people to call when stuck?

7. Legacy

The long game. What are you building that outlives this year?

• What I want to leave behind — Your creative legacy statement.
• System that works without me — Automation, content, products that keep working.
• 10-year vision — Where is this all going?
• Legacy clarity (1-10) — Can you articulate your endgame?

How to Use It

Weekly Review (15 minutes)

Every week, open your soul.md and ask:

1. Did my actions this week align with my Identity section?
2. Which dimension got the most attention? Which got neglected?
3. What one thing would improve my lowest-scoring dimension?

Monthly Update (30 minutes)

Once a month, re-score every dimension. Update the fields. Notice the trends.

• Are you growing in Craft but declining in Energy?
• Is your Voice getting clearer or more diluted?
• Is Capital moving in the right direction?

Quarterly Deep Review (1 hour)

Every quarter, rewrite your Identity section from scratch. Your mission, stack, and craft may have evolved. Let the file reflect reality.

Build Yours Now

Use the interactive builder on the GenCreator Soul page — fill in each dimension and download your soul.md file instantly.

Build Your soul.md →

Or take the 2-minute self-assessment first to get your baseline scores.

Take the Assessment →

FAQ

Where do I store my soul.md?

Anywhere you will see it. ~/soul.md is the convention. Some creators keep it in their project repo, others in Obsidian or Notion.

How honest should I be?

Completely. This file is for you. A 3 in Voice is not failure — it is awareness. You can not improve what you do not measure.

Can I share my soul.md?

Up to you. Some GenCreators share their soul.md publicly as an accountability tool. Others keep it private. Both approaches work.

How often should scores change?

Monthly changes of 1-2 points are normal. If nothing changes in 3 months, something is stuck.

What if I score low on everything?

Then you have a clear roadmap. Pick the one dimension that would unlock the most progress, and focus there for 30 days. Your soul.md just gave you your next move.

Your soul.md is the most honest document you will ever write. Start it today.

Explore the GenCreator Framework →