On Art and Design Part Two: Get out of High School

"For me, I used to be trapped in the lie that is high school, “your identity lies in who you surround yourself with and who accepts you.” Cliques exist not because it is a way to make friends. It is to see where your identity lies. This is complete stupidity as I contemplated the dumb decisions I made to try and fit in: not wearing the clothes I like, talking to people I don’t like, trying to enjoy things I don’t like, lying about what I do like to please others, and changing myself. I became so obsessed at one point that I developed two eating disorders at the same time just to feel pretty enough and be accepted by males but I found that I was emptier than I am now thirty pounds heavier. In counseling, I learned that our identity is found in Christ, and we don’t need acceptance of others in order to feel something. We need to find ourselves and use our true self to please God. That is the only way to feel worth." 

- excerpt of an assignment that I had to turn in

Oddballers,

I apologize for the insanely long quote, but this whole idea is mind blowing. I am taking a creativity class in college, and what I find myself learning about for my art and design field is totally relevant so hold on for some amazing blog posts coming up.

Where is your motivation coming from to find worth? This is an important question that we have to ask ourselves and we try to do art, design, or any vocation for that matter. The quote above is great example of what happens when our identity is coming from the wrong place. I use this analogy with the people I meet all the time. I either label them as "out of high school" or "not out of high school" by this simple idea; does your identity lie with others or does it lie within the way God created you to be. If you are truly yourself, people WILL notice. You illuminate. Trust me. It's the most attractive thing in the world. We must find that passion and love of ourselves in the world and we need to find it in the core purpose of our uniqueness in how God created us. We must be aware in order to find our identity. It doesn't lie in people and it never will.

Trust me, people that don't know who they are and what they want to do are frustrating people. Do what you love and don't worry about anything else. The money will come later, trust me. My stepfather would tell me when I was young, "Do what you are passionate about, and if you are passionate about it, the money will come. Don't make the money come to you, it will happen all on its own." We must trust this idea of God providing for us. Out of fear we try to give ourselves a monetary "safety space" or "do our dues" until we actually do what we want to do. Can't we just start working towards what we want to do and struggle a little bit. The struggle is what makes success worth it anyways. WE need to be doing this. We need to work towards our passions and goals. Don't settle for less than what you want.

SETTLING FOR WHAT YOU WANT = AWESOMENESS :)

So do it all ready. GET OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL and make something of yourself and don't settle for less than who you are to please God. Please, save me the frustration. :)

Have a Good one,

Oddball