Being Who We're Meant to Be-

   Writers, as well as artists, photographers, musicians, and those in the performing arts, sometimes tend to feel 'out of the loop' with the majority of others in our midst. Not due to being better or inferior, but because we are often introspective, focused intensely on the progress of our craft, and/or constantly observing everything around us. That seems to be part of the creative personality. None of which is a negative, but depending on our circle of family, friends, and acquaintances, we might be labeled by some as 'eccentric,'  'introverted,' 'artsy fartsy,' 'out-of-the-box,' even 'weird.'

                                            (author WISHES she took this photo.)
Add to this, that a good number of artistic people often express themselves by how they dress. Funky. Colorful. Unconventional. Or the no-fuss opposite of a simple tee/sweat shirt and jeans with no mind or time for trends or fashion maintenance.

      'Bling' might not be your thing. And if it is, great!  Let it shine. And that's the point. To be who we are inside and out - to write and or/perform from the core of our true identity. Ours and ours alone. Not restricted by a conformist mentality. Why? So as not to hinder our expression and the uniqueness of what we have to offer.

 It's a blessing when we connect with like-minded people as part of our social network so that we have others who resonate with us on a fundamental level.  Not only artistically, but spiritually too. And it seems that most of us immediately know when we make a soul-to-soul connection with a fellow writer, artist, musician and/or performer. There is total acceptance of our idiosyncrasies and a genuine camaraderie.
Point being?
Never change to please the masses. Gravitate toward other like-minded people via Meet-Up groups, FB, classes, church ministries, community gatherings, and other avenues where people of your interests gather. Sometimes even Starbuck's! LOL!

Age doesn't matter. We can gain support and be inspired from elders, teens, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty somethings etc. And vice versa. Our numbers might be different but our mindsets similar.
Lastly (alas!) Don't dismiss the people who care about us yet do not understand us, as long as they are supportive and don't try to mold us into what rings true for them.
And paramount to it all, drop any jealousy of fellow authors, artists, musicians and/or performers. We need to applaud one another's accomplishments, not envy them or try to outdo them. It's easy to get caught up in a competitive mindset within social media circles.
Let's try to allow our various hues to mingle, creating beautiful stories, poems, art, and music to make the world a little brighter. A heart a little happier. What a privilege to be the ones to do so!