Whooooooooo arrrrreeee yooooooooouuu?

Okay, I kind of have a problem that I'd like to share with you guys. Lately I've had a revelation that you might find of use.

In the deeply symbolic words of the blue caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland, "Whoooooo arrrrrreeeeee yooooooooouuu?"


Perhaps your answer would be an engineer, a nurse, a mailman (just to name a few). Or perhaps you are an artist, like me.

But I have another question for you. What makes you who you are? Is it your uniform, where you go to work, your name tag?

Or do you tell yourself who you are based on what people say?

Wait a second, don't immediately deny me. Think about it for a moment. If you particularly excel at something- how does it make you feel when you hear someone praise you? Good, right? Well, I have a scenario that I want you to think about. (well actually a true story, but I want you to see if it relates to you if you're an artist.)

I always love to bring my work out to show other people whenever they're over at my place. I love to be complemented- it's part of my prideful nature. So one day, someone commented, "You are truly an artist." This stopped me in my tracks.

For the longest time I just... Didn't particularly believe I was an artist. From then on I regarded myself as being an artist- a true artist.

Woah woah woah, so what's the meaning of this story? Why is it as bad as you're making it out to be?

Well, you're right. There is a good side to this story. Someone gave me the motivation to believe in myself. What's so bad about that?

Nothing is wrong with that. But what's wrong is what I was believing before.

Do I really need other people to tell me what I am? To tell me who I am? Whether I like it or not- I should never listen to other people's opinions of who I am as an individual, and neither should you! You don't need anyone's approval- you only need yourself's.

That's really one of the biggest, most valued virtues- self assurance. And it just doesn't stick to artistic assurance- it goes for everyday life. You don't need someone to tell you that dress flatters your figure, or makes you look like a blimp, or it's not your color. If you like it- then you like it. That's the whole idea of fashion, isn't it? Self expression!

But there's
a fine line between being independent and not easily swayed and being a total jerk and not listening to anything others say. Let people have their opinions, but don't let them change yours.

Remember- you're who you are because you say you are.


~Tei

"Anything you can imagine is real."
-Pablo Picasso