you're not me. perspective.

(you can look at the original artist's etsy shop for the above picture here)

I was talking to a friend the other day about being real and what I'm portraying to my audience through writing. I've seen it happen too many times where a blogger or author will write beautifully, captivating my attention until I'm totally swept up and connected to them, and then… then. it. happens. You meet in real life.

:enter very disappointing, kinda soul crushing, moment:

It's like, wait…are you the same person that wrote all those things that touched me? Do you have a twin? Did I enter the twilight zone? What's going on???

:enter a good dose of reality in which you realize that said blogger/author is human too:

Dang. Here I was seriously thinking that (fill in name here) had everything in their life together and was splendiferously magnificent to the point that I was convinced (fill in name here) was my new BEST friend because, after all, WE CONNECTED! I mean, I've sat down with (fill in name here) and had coffee like a bazillion times…well, I mean yeah, in my head…BUT, I WAS reading THEIR blog/book and drinking tea or coffee while feeling that way!

Hi! Welcome to reality. People kinda suck sometimes. But, you know what? You have a chance to do this whole "let's just be real" thing right. You and I can be exactly who we are, not comparing ourselves to anyone else, but simply just being us. I get so frustrated watching women compare themselves to other women who cross their path, looking at them and having the first thought be, oh wow, she's way prettier/smarter/faster/more beautiful/talented/gifted/etc. than I'll ever be. Clearly, this person is not you. You are not her. You are you and you'll only ever be you. Period. 

Do you know how amazing that is? There is only one of you. And honestly, you might not be a super model (neither am I) but, in your own unique way, you are more beautiful than anyone else, because you're you. Let's stop letting a media, a culture, a completely idiotic way of thinking dictate who and what we are. If you are a writer, then write. If you are a painter, then paint. If you are an inventor, then invent! Stop wasting your time comparing every single thing you are, every single thing you create to everyone else's whatever. It's a HUGE temptation to do that. I swear I fight that voice every. single. day. that whispers in my ear, "You'll never write as good as that one person over there. His/her writing is far superior to yours, the way they think blows you out of the water, and to be honest, you'll never write the next great american novel, so just stop. Give up." 

AH! Get away from me! That's what I have to consistently scream back. Because, part of this is true, and the enemy loves to interweave truth with lies in the most creative fashion. It's true that I will never think or write like anyone else. I will never be Pat Conroy or L.M. Montgomery because, shocker, I'm not them! I'm me. However, though everything may have been written before, I can simply write what I know to be the truest thing in my life. I am not trying to reinvent the wheel here, I'm just telling you my perspective. Isn't that all we can do anyway? Simply, give our perspective in whatever form of creativity we happen to be gifted with.

So, let's talk and paint and create and write and live and be, exactly who we are. Let's be real and live in such a way that who we are glorifies the One who created us individually to tell a story that is the same but completely and utterly different from all others at the same time.

#letsjustbereal