Original available here.
Some people may assume this piece was created as some sort of a political statement. Nope.
Its message is much larger than that.
We grow up learning how to fit in, follow rules, and conform. Conformity is the goal governments have for their citizens, factories have for their workers, and teachers have for their students. It gets you to follow the law, do the job, and fill in the little ovals on standardized tests. All without asking too many questions (or ideally, none).
Unfortunately, in our current world, governments have gotten too big for their own good, factories are closing down, and a diploma is less valuable than it’s ever been.
Conformity is a very good thing for governments, corporations, and schools. But not so much for you. As adults, conformity might deliver a small measure of security. But it can come at the cost of unfulfilled potential and a boring life.
Jesus. Ghandi. Mother Teresa. Martin Luther King Jr. Amelia Earhart. Walt Disney. Harriet Tubman. John Lennon. Joan of Arc. George Washington. The greatest, most inspiring figures in the history of mankind have one thing in common: They were nonconformists.
You were not made to blend into a faceless army of automatons, following rules that are only there because no one has bothered to point out their uselessness. You were created to be something special, unlike anyone else who has or will ever live. You are called to stand out and shine like the stars.
When you feel the pull to hide that delightfully weird, remarkably quirky side of you from the world, there’s only one thing to do.
Resist.
I do respectfully disagree because resisting is not always an option in this life.
Perhaps a clarification is in order…resisting is always an option, but that doesn’t mean it’s always the best one. ;)
I know it seems like a grand idea to point out the relatively famous conformists, but very few of us are going to be next Mother Teresa or George Washington – if we are very lucky, a few of might be classified as the “black sheep” who couldn’t follow family/other rules and we were shunted off into obscurity.
I’m not a black sheep, but am someone who many do not understand, or should I say not try to understand – can’t understand why I prefer to be a loner, or do some of the most oddball things on a day2day basis. Many don’t even “know” the real me.
Last week, a guy I know discovered I had an illness that can flare which tires me out; have no energy; need to rest… he had been at film festival and had seen this extraordinary film…he never even realised that I could apply to be that “film”! I suppose in a way you could apply “resist” as sometimes I just don’t want to stand out…I get enough of that in the doctors’ clinic, so I keep my low profile “loner” out there…easier than having to explain :-)
Remember, none of the “famous” non-conformists started out famous: https://escapeadulthood.com/blog/2016-01-17/dream-on-artist.html
Love it. Just a reminder that being your true colorful self can brighten the world.
Any chance this this original art piece will be available in a print or other merchandise in the future? I LOVE the original…it’s a little outside the budget right now…because it feels like my call to action every.single.day. Thank you for putting all the feels into art.
No, due to copyright reasons, we will not be offering any reproductions of this. However, keep in mind that we do offer financing with just 20% down. Happy to hear it resonates with you! :)