I'm going to make a very bold statement which I hold dear to:
There is no such thing as creativity and individuality.
Speaking of one who has been called an 'unique individual' or 'different' more times than I've been called my actual name, my statement has good merit to it. If you look at social websites, like Myspace, you can see a clear example of how being an individual is dead. Simply because 'individualist' tend to float towards people that are 'like them' in order to stay in their comfort zone. What you wear, how you blog, what you listen to, shouldn't define you as a person. It's suppose to be a self-expression of your inner self. But if we're so busy trying to emulate others, how the hell are we being individuals.
Prime example, through most of high school, I got dirty looks and comments from individuals saying that I'm trying to be white; wearing what the white kids wear, listening to what the white kids listen to.. But now it's okay to 'look white' because it's become a Hip-Hop look because of artist such as Kanye West. Big fucking deal that he wears plaid and Ray Bans. How many others have been doing it before it became an acceptable trend amongst the music world. Namely the African American community that looked down upon people in their own race that refused to stick into their set box of Hip-Hop, R&B and baggy jeans. No thanks. Granted that many other artist in, say Hip-Hop have tried to step out the box and start trends in order for others to be themselves, but was quickly faded and taken under the tide of mainstream.
Being an individual shouldn't be solely based on one's outward appearance, but on one's thoughts and mentality. What happened to people telling the world to go fuck off? During the punk revolution, they were the prime examples of making a statement (sorry to sound stereotypical but it was the first thing that popped into my head). Going against the system, being their own person regardless of what others have told them. Now, stupid kids have taken what was so pure and true in the past and made it into a fashion statement. Fucking punk kids. I hated them in high school.
Scenesters, emo kids, hipsters, hip-hop(sters), conservatives all have to put on some sort of costume in order to appease others. Trust me, I've been called a scenester more than people have spelled my name with two S's. Granted I do like the style, I'm not going to let my skinny jeans and plaid shirts take over my mindset. I'm still Alneesa Marie under these clothes. I refuse to be another stereotype. I'm not gonna come off as some jerk ass scene kid that goes to shows and spew about music and fashion. Then blog on Myspace and rant to all my friends from the 'group trains' to feel like I belong. Fuck that shit, man.
What happened to appeasing ourselves. Being true to our real selves? There's no such thing as a ground breaking individual. Not to sound rude or racist, but the only reason why some people might think that President-Elect Obama is a ground breaking person is because of his complexion. But what about his views? His opinion? That is what should really matter. How we think makes us different. Granted that there will always be someone that will agree with you, but it only takes one to start the ball rolling.
But what are we rolling now? Not a damn thing. Revolutions are dead. Change is nothing more than a fleeting feeling to soothe the masses from the stagnation that we've been some comfortable in for years. It's depressing really.
Another thing that bothers me is how it's okay to be in an interracial relationship. You know when it's becoming accepted over a vast majority when Hollywood incorporates it in their shows/movies. How many people have been going against their parents' wishes? Their friends' wishes for self love? This is my point exactly. Instead of making yourself happy, we're forever trying to appease others around them in order to avoid rejection or possible alienation. But y'know what, sometimes as an individual, we need to break about from human acceptance and start practicing self-acceptance. I'm sorry that I sound like one of those 'self-help' people, but it's the only way that we as a world can change. One individual at a time.
It's time we re-vamp ourselves. We need to break apart from all the little cliques, and socially accepted friends and start marching to the beat of our own drummer... Not to the beat and auto turner that's being shoved down our throats by T-Pain and Lil' Wayne. What happened to creating ground breaking artworks by artist like Salvador Dali, Edward Hooper or Jackson Pollock? Or even creating classical pieces whose vibrator and staccato echo through our minds? There are great artist in different areas of the visual and performing art world. It just seems like we're too busy emulating them instead of finding our own. I guess it's somewhat hard since everything has been done in the past. Where has that stroke of genius that they once felt flee to?
God, we really need to have a complete mental wipe and start all over from scratch. Cause the times we're living in today seems to be nothing but total bullshit.
/rant
