Can somebody claim to be a nonconformist when they are doing what they feel is necessary to fit into a group of nonconformists?
I often thought of that when I took art classes, and later, worked in art departments. I loved to be creative. But it seemed to fit in, you had to have certain beliefs, dress a certain way, and behave in a certain manner. That wasn’t for me! I just wanted to create. I didn’t want to waste my creative energy on trying to fit in with this group or that.
I love Jame’s Thurber’s quote because it reminds me of that awkward feeling I had when I wasn’t quite fitting in with my art buddies, nor with my more conservative friends.
“Why do you have to be a nonconformist like everybody else?”
James Thurber
Culture ruins nonconformists. A musical band is considered a sell-out when its creativity hits the mainstream. Fashion trends are all the rage one year and totally faux pas the next. If one is wearing last year’s fashion trend, are they out of touch or are they cutting-edge nonconformists?
What is considered conformist in one group is considered shockingly out there in another. Perhaps the true gauge of who is a nonconformist is that they never quite fit in any group they are a part of. We are all unique individuals, after all.
