Saturday, July 16, 2011

"Be Yourself, Everyone Else is Already Taken"

 
It was Oscar Wilde who said "Be yourself, everyone else is already taken."

One of the most important things my mother ever taught me was that it was okay to be an original.  As I child I sometimes cringed when she would do things "other people didn't do" -  jump into a city fountain on a hot summer day, strike up conversations with strangers (perfect or otherwise), wear goofy hats (and in my version of reality, any hat that ended up on my mother's head qualified as goofy), dyed her hair purple. Okay, she didn't do that last one on purpose, still she didn't seem adequately mortified that she had done so, and this was decades before quirky hair colors were even on the fashion horizon.  

Flash forward a decade or two... or three.... and I have it on good authority (from my children) that I have embarrassed my children in equally memorable ways.  And all I have to say about that is Thank goodness! 

While I began to appreciate my mother's free spirit even in my early adulthood, and in theory I've tried to embrace my own sometimes quirky lifestyle without apology, I will admit that there were many times in my life, in both small and large ways, when I found myself wanting to do something, be something, wear something, say something... and BOING.  Found I'd bounced back into "normal", that even I had an invisible "line of acceptability" that I found difficult to cross.

I'm not talking here of things that I thought were unacceptable because of some legitimate reason - maybe it wasn't an appropriate place, it would have been unkind, it would have defeated my larger intention to come across in an undignified way.... no, I mean sometimes I thought of something I wanted to do/say/wear and didn't simply because it was outside of our cultures list of approved choices.  Something that wouldn't have hurt anyone, wouldn't have broken any laws, and left me feeling disappointed at having been too chicken to allow myself to do.

Everyone's got their line.  Mine, fortunately, started out well outside the average person's border, and the older I get the longer the walk is to reach it.  One of the perks of getting older.  Makes up a wee bit for things like wrinkles and less perky body parts.

All this is a build up to sharing a whole BUNCH of photos with you.  At this point you might want to go get a cupcake and a cup of tea and come back and settle in for the rest of the post.

......you're ready?  Oh good.

One of the things I love most about Faerieworlds Festival is that it's a place where everyone mutually agrees to break through those lines of acceptability.  There are places, communities, gatherings where people dress differently.  Ren Faires come to mind, although I've heard too many stories about the "HAWP" (Historical Accuracy Wardrobe Police) to think it's truly freedom of expression.  It's more accurate perhaps to say they allow different expression.   Or there's more liberal communities, high school or college campuses, and certainly festivals as a whole where people open up and let a bit of their uniqueness into the sun.  But nowhere seems to be as lovingly embracing to the creed "to thine own self be true" than in the Realm.

Which is why I have a bit of a problem with the word "costume" when explaining our Faerieworld garb.  I sometimes fall back on using it, but I much prefer to say "outfit".  Because I've come to believe that what I see in all the color and style, layers and paint, beads and bare skin, are the true selves of people finally allowed to come out and play unabashedly, without fear.  Costumes are the things we wear when we go back home and once again must, by choice or circumstances, don jeans and tees, uniforms, and suits.




While pondering the idea of originality, I thought of this song.  Perhaps you might like to click on it as a soundtrack on your viewing journey.  Many of these pics are friends, some are strangers.  But all of them fill my heart with such joy to see them allowed to be themselves.

"And yeah, you look much better,
Look much better when you glow"


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Whisperfae


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Zoe and Mermie


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Obviously royalty of some kind.


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Moby and his wondrous wizard hat.


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I'm taking this photo from eye level, she's on stilts.


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I never asked her what her "theme" (if any, who needs a stinkin' theme, eh!?) was but I thought she was so lovely.


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Lost Boy - Hawk and Mother of Many Flowers - Lynn


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Dymphina and sweet offspring.


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Striped stockings are always a good addition.


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What struck my eye with this couple - check out the driftwood dreds.


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Stephanie might win cutest ears with this pair.


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Danielle rocks simple and stunning.


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A touch of steampunk.  Are we having fun yet?  Hellya!


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More steampunk.  (You don't know what Steampunk means?  Seriously?  Do you have a house number on that rock you're living under?  And you know me???  So, Google it, problem solved.)


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Two of the beautiful peeps - Robert and Ash


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Dymphina again in something to keep away the twilight chill.  This cape was so soft it was all I could do not to pet her and pet her and ....


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Kat the Gorgeous Goblin


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A lovely elven couple.


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Kylie expressing her totem Blue Heron.


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Steampunk Kate (She MADE this outfit, including the hat!!!)


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Beautiful Rowan and Captain Crazy Beard


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I liked the calm island they created in the crowd.


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 Dance Jester dance.


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A contingent from the water depths.  Here's the really odd bit though.  The woman on the left, didn't know the family on the right.  She just happened to be wandering by while I was taking the photo of the family and I grabbed her and added her to the shot.


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Whisperfae and Jake, a rather horny couple.


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A parasol always completes ones look, don't you agree?


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Twyla, Copper, and Kylie.  I told them to look sexy, or devious, or ... I can't remember exactly.  But whatever I said, they certainly pulled it off brilliantly.


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One of the happiest souls I met this year.


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He does "dark and dangerous" rather handsomely, don't you think?  In truth he's a most friendly, kindly fellow.


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The veining in her wings were gorgeous!


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One of my favorite families, Brian, Emily, and Addi.


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Lynne with one of her new flower children.  I'm guessing her name is... Rose.




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And yes, even a Muggle and a Stormtrooper.

What?  No photos of our me and the family?  Well, that's another post.

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5 Comments:

Blogger Jan said...

Oh My! What can one say to these fabulous outfits/faefolk? What a great time it looks to be. I can hardly wait for your next post, I want to see your costumes. Thanks so much for sharing! I'll go back to my drab life now.

3:05 PM  
Blogger Jan said...

Whoops, I looked at the pictures and commented before I actually read your words. I meant to say "your Outfits" not your costumes, heheh.

3:20 PM  
Blogger shari said...

oh good! pictures from the Realm!! i wait every year for your pics because i wish i were close enough to come! what a fun way to show who you really are! thanks for sharing your pics...look forward to more! faerie dreams and magic wishes to you...

1:24 PM  
Blogger Patty Ashworth said...

My peeps! I fit in there!!! Everyone here thinks I'm crazy, but they smile and laugh. We don't have a fairy festival...booo... I always send a link to your post to my friends! Keep putting those pictures up! I absolutely love them.

3:58 AM  
Blogger catsmum said...

it's been a long wait between posts but it was worth it - you do know the most amazing people !

3:24 AM  

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