Blessed Are the Weird People (& the Regular Ones too)

Blessed are the weird people
the poets and misfits
the artists
the writers
and the music makers
the dreamers
and the outsiders
for they force
us to see the
world differently

There is sometimes a preconception that artists have different vibe. They walk a different path, march to the beat of their own drum, and see the world through multi-colored glasses.

Stereotypes about artists (verified by a quick internet search):

Artists…
-are moody/depressed
-only hang out with other creatives
-are intense & focused
-suffer for their work
-are starving/desperate for work
-have great fashion sense
-are pretentious and aloof
-have glamourous gallery exhibitions and sell their work for loads of money
-can’t be parted from their sketchbook
-are eccentric/socially inept
-have substance abuse problems/mental illness
-are disorganized and flaky
-were born as a child prodigy
-are free-spirited
-dress weird

So many of these are contradictory! And while there may be some truth to each of these ideas, they certainly don’t encompass every artist or creative on the planet.

I consider myself an artist (I’ll admit I’m not completely confident about saying that – but I’m working on it). And yet, I’m also a regular person. I definitely don’t think I have a ‘cool artist identity’, as someone described it to me lately.

For example, my creativity is a huge part of who I am, but I’m also a working mom juggling other responsibilities, my son’s travel baseball schedule, and maybe even a social life every now and them. I struggle with the same things so many other women face. I don’t have enough time in my day. Laundry is my least favorite chore and I’m happiest in athletic wear. I hang out with a wide variety of people. I don’t get to escape and create whenever I want.

In short…I’m just me.

I wonder if these ideas about what a “real” artist is like are holding people back from pursuing their creative dreams. If that is the case, we need to work on changing that.

Blessed are the weird people – and the regular ones too.

The truth is, anyone that makes art in any form is an artist.

And so whoever you are, you are beautiful. Your goals, your dreams, your talents, and gifts are all beautiful. Pursue those things will all of your heart.

If you feel like a weirdo, I see you.

If you feel like a dreamer, an outsider…I see you.

If you feel like you are “just” a regular person, I see you!

What do you think?