Be Gloriously Eccentric in 2010–Splarks Insists!
I’m taking off the rest of 2009 so that I can concentrate on creating more stories. In the meantime, let me get “serious.” Yes, contrary to popular belief, I do have a Serious brain cell that occasionally likes to surface.
Christine Kane, a favorite blogger of mine, eschews New Year’s resolutions in favor of a Word of the Year. Read her excellent blog post “Resolution Revolution: A Better Way to Start Your Year” for full details, but the Cliffs Notes version is that Christine suggests picking a New Year’s word to help you stay focused on your goals, rather than make an obligatory and flimsy “promise.” Instead of “I resolve to spend two hours daily at the gym because working out is healthy, even though I hate the gym and historically give up mid-January,” you might choose the word “well-being” to remind you to choose whatever contributes to your well-being and health, whether it’s the gym or yoga or just being deliberate about what you eat.
I’m expanding mine to be a phrase: Glorious Eccentricity.
If you read my blog, you’re probably a bit … eccentric. Go on, admit it. I’m undeniably weird–these little stories are like juicy berries in a big Jamba Juice Smoothie of Weird. The people that matter to me are also intriguingly bizarre. Even my cat is a bit strange with his lettuce addiction and all. Many of my stories focus on eccentric characters. Let’s face it, Mabel the Teenage Komodo Dragon clashed with her peers. Beatrice the Three-Eyed Marmot had some … issues. And poor old Ulrich struggled to blend in with the fairies he longed to befriend. But none of them let their differences stop them. Ulrich took his dream and flew with it, albeit clumsily. Beatrice turned her deformity into an asset (let’s overlook her untimely demise for now). And Mabel rejected the standard Komodo Dragon Dream in favor of her own vision, which blossomed into Island Domination.
Our world frequently discourages eccentricity, weirdness, and authenticity. Things flow more smoothly in the World of Work and School when we’re all identical. You get less flak when you pretend to be just like everyone else. However, I’ve learned the hard way that denying your true self is disastrous. It hurts your mind and your body. It doesn’t make people think you’re cool; it makes you seem stilted and boring. It stifles creativity and makes you do things like give a shit about Tiger Woods’s scandalous love life. When you deny your eccentricity, the only people and situations you attract are those that bore the crap out of you.
So in 2010, I will continue to embrace my Inner Weirdo. I have ideas! They are WEIRD ideas, and I am terribly enthusiastic about them! Care to join me in the quest for Glorious Eccentricity? If so, leave a comment and tell me what you plan to do or what you’re thinking about.
Happy New Year.
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Love it! Fly your freak flag high!