Figmentations

I remember times while growing up when I’d ask my Mom if I could get a certain hairstyle or buy a certain type of clothes so that I could be more like the other kids in my classes.  

I also vividly remember my Mom’s response going something like this:  “Why, do you want to look like everyone else?”

I also remember desperately wanting to reply, that: “Yes, I’d love to fit in and to look like everyone else.” 

Strangely, as an adult (and quite similar to what most small business advice also suggests), I find that my response has clearly changed.  Now the desire, and the advice, is to find ways to stand out and be unique and to stand for something in a way that differentiates ourselves from everyone else.

Now the stakes seem so much higher, and more maturely, it is no longer about simply being noticed in superficially physical ways, but instead to stand out in “human” ways.

As inspired by “Personal Storytelling” exercises shared by Michael Margolis of GetStoried.com at a recent BlogWorldExpo workshop, I came to a realization that I thought would be worthwhile to share here. 

One exercise went something like this:  if I were given 90 seconds on a stage to say whatever I wanted, to send out one message that I believe was most important for the world to hear, and to say it in a way that showed why I cared about what I cared about in a way that would get others to care about it as well, what would I say?

While I strongly feel the need to be heard, to have a voice, I had to admit to myself that I also knew that if I were to be given my 90 seconds now, I would blow it and completely freeze.  And, I wouldn’t freeze because of stage fright.   

It would be that I have not yet formulated just one message to share with the world, at least not as a honed down, cleanly formulated, version of all the thoughts and feelings that seem to find themselves pushing for an outlet of expression.

At the same time, suprisingly, I’ve also found some peace believing that this is an okay place for me to be right now.  Letting those thoughts and feelings percolate and find their way to the surface so that they can find their way out in a meaningful way may just be what the journey is about for me.  Maybe that is my version of the age-old question: “What is the meaning of life?”… something that I started writing about in my recent “Finding Purpose” series.

I’m starting to realize that just because I don’t have that one message (yet), that doesn’t mean that there isn’t one there lurking somewhere just below the surface.    

Maybe that’s one reason why so many people have that unwritten book that they keep carrying around in their heads.  Perhaps this is not an uncommon human yearning or at least one that anyone who identifies themselves as being or wanting to be a writer can relate to. 

Strangely, the answer doesn’t seem to be to wait with writing, but instead to write in spite of that not knowing (yet) … to let those words have their opportunity to come together … to create that something out of nothing.

As an artist, just because you can’t reach something or don’t see something (yet), that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.  I’d say, keep reaching.  I know I will.

Can you relate? Have you had similar thoughts or yearnings?  I’d love to read your thoughts on this.  Feel free to share below.  And, thank you for stopping by.