You can learn a lot about yourself from the caption you instinctively type when you forward a meme to a friend. Mine said, “I think I need to become more eccentric.”
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I feel like the caption on the meme that you send to a friend of yours is such a microcosm of your state of mind or certain truths you have observed in the world that you just have to share with your bestie.
Recently, I sent a meme to a friend of mine, and my commentary was that I think I need to become more eccentric.
Let me tell you why I think that comment deserves to be a voicenote. But first, let me back up and tell you what the Instagram reel that I forwarded to her contained.
The Instagram reel was from Ken Fulk, who is a very well-known designer, and it was his closet. In his closet, he showed how, rather than having a traditional closet, he had taken a bedroom and converted it. He had gotten all of these old, beautiful haberdashery wooden drawer units, like out of old closets. He had put all his clothes in there because he loves his clothes and his shoes. Then he had taken clothing racks and put garment bags over all of his suits with a Polaroid in front. It gave him a lot of joy, because he was able to shop in his closet. He said he does not buy as much because he ends up shopping in his closet, which is a big theme for me. I do not want to consume more to have the joy of clothes and fashion.
Then he went on to show all the photos of him and Beyonce, him marrying his partner by an Elvis impersonator in Vegas, and cutely saying it was not legal, but it was fun. He showed all the people he loves in his life. He had all these objects and photos of the things he loves, and he said, “This is my sanctuary. I come in here, and I have created a space that is beautiful for my things and the people I love. It is exactly the way I want it, and I love it.”
It gave me such joy to watch him in that space, creating a space exactly for himself simply because he liked it, because it felt good.
It had me thinking, “Do we do this as women? Do we do exactly what we want to do because we want to? Or are we more conformist and doing what we think we are supposed to do?”
This idea of being eccentric holds a certain joy. There is joy in someone who does not conform simply because whatever they are doing that is nonconforming gives them joy. The eccentric people have that light in their eyes. They have that mischief in their eyes. They seem to say, “I am doing it this way because it is me, because I want to.” I think all of us, women in particular, need a little bit of that. Let us not conform so much. Let us start to experiment and play with this idea of what we like, what lights us up, what is uniquely ours.
“How do I want to organize my space, starting with space, not the way everyone else does it or has done it, but in a way that works for me? How do I organize my life in a way that lights me up and gives me joy?”
I think it is an act of revolution for a woman to say, “I am going to do this because I like it, because I want to, because it feels good.” If that makes me eccentric, I do not know that people would describe me as eccentric. But if that makes me a rebel, if that makes me someone who is just not willing anymore, then so be it.
Are you with me, women? I am no longer willing to do the stuff I am supposed to do for the sake of doing it. I am over it. I am over it.
Watching someone show the world the space he created simply for the delight of it, the joy it gives him, the calm it gives him, and the connection to his people and the things he loves was really an inspiration to me.
I do think starting with a space is a really interesting way to experiment with this. Can you create a corner that is just for you, for the delight of it? Can you notice every time you say, I cannot because, or it is impractical because, or I am not supposed to because, and maybe when those voices come up, choose instead to listen to the voice that says, “This feels good, this feels right?”
Ken also inspired me to maybe rearrange my closet a little bit. So thanks for that, Ken.
As always, thanks for listening. All my love.
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