You can be both!

I once read a Vicki Notaro article in Stellar magazine about how watching the Kardashians didn't make her an 'airhead', and that feeling of having to defend herself to those who make assumptions. It really resonated with me on a number of levels, and has stuck with me since.

It was maybe five or six years ago. I read it during my lunch at UCC where I was majoring in English for my BA. It made me think of a moment in one of my Women's Literature lectures, when the professor made some sarcastic comment about Cecelia Ahern style 'chick-lit' novels and the kind of girls who read them. Many in the class sniggered along. While I'm sure there were some who would gain respect for her from that comment, I felt the opposite. Pure and utter snarky snobbery. That's what this is to me, and I can't stand shit like that. It made me feel momentarily small, because I was the kind of person she referred to, angry because 'how dare she?', and also that I didn't belong.

I personally love reading "chick-lit" books, watching Keeping Up With The Kardashians, spending my time on makeup, and scrolling through Instagram. Does that mean I am stupid? Nope. Should "intelligent" people only reserve their brain for philosophical thinking and challenging debates? Nope. I don't see why there should be any shame in enjoying things that allow you to switch off.

I also don't see why there should be any shame in being switched on by the things that switch others off. In some ways watching the Kardashians can give me a 'get up and go' feeling to work hard on my business, or simply inspires me in fashion and makeup. Even that in itself might seem silly to some. Playing with makeup might be seen as frivolous, or it might be someone's downtime to switch off. Whereas for me, it makes me feel creative, inspired, purposeful, and most importantly, happy. It is my art.

Today, I was thinking about when I decided to change "career paths". While I was not the brainiest or best student, I was pretty good at school. I found that because I was academically inclined, I would be praised for being so, and nudged towards continuing down an academic path. (Not pushed - I had no problem at all in taking such a path, and I was lucky not to have anyone forceful on my life - but subtly nudged.)  I did go on to University after school for my BA minoring in Psychology, with the intentions of going on to study Psychology itself, and I am absolutely glad I did. I enjoyed a lot of my classes, and that option will remain there for me, but I ended up discovering my passion for makeup along the way. (I talk more about this in my first post - My Story)

It was when I decided to press pause on my academic path and instead focus on my love for this trade, that I realised I had this feeling of 'should I be putting my brain to better use?'  Somewhere along the way, I had been influenced by this view that favoured academia simply because I was able for it. However, I soon discovered that I was in fact going to be putting my brain to better use - by not cramming it with information I half cared about, and instead sparking it with inspiration, getting my creative juices flowing, and also involving my heart.

This is what reminded me of that article I read years ago. That feeling that you must be either A or B - preferably you should be A, but if not then you're B.

My point is (in this rambling way) that you should never feel pigeon-holed by someone else's arrogance, or feel silly to enjoy what you enjoy. If you love painting, or accounting, or both, you can also enjoy reality tv, or highbrow literature, or both. Whether we're talking about pastimes or careers, you can be A, you can be B, you can be A and B!

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