I am Not Brainwashed [Blog 4A]

Before you read anything, check out this website.  Click 'download' to read what I read.

http://changethis.com/manifesto/show/66.01.Brainwashed

One of the seven pillars, Acknowledging the Lizard, talks about the uncomfortableness people have when they're being laughed at.  I mean, rightfully so.  Who wants to be laughed at?  I always hated those people who would laugh at someone after he or she had fallen down or done something embarrassing and then say, "Hahaha, no, I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with you!"  in between giggles.  Really?  That's odd, because I'm not laughing.  Anyway, the pillar says that being laughed at is the lizard's worst nightmare (if you haven't figured this out, the lizard is our brain).  When we're laughed at, we shut down.  We stop what we're doing; we stop creating.  This is called resistance.  Resistance is that voice inside your head that says, "Crap, we're being laughed at.  Quick, stop being creative and start doing everything by the books.  Be the same as everyone else.  Then they can't laugh at you."  Kinda sad, isn't it?  Godin, the author of this piece, tells us to acknowledge the lizard so that we can ignore it.

A second pillar that really spoke to me as a creative person is Make Art.  Appropriate, I suppose.  I especially like that Godin said that art isn't necessarily a poem or a painting.  It can be anything anyone has ever done.  Art doesn't follow instructions, so in turn, can be very risky.  It sort of goes back to the lizard.  People have to realize that once they make art, they could be laughed at.  Look at all the random people on YouTube.  They upload videos with content anywhere from a Jesus centered flash mob to a stop motion t-shirt war.  All of it is art.  And no one seems to care how many dislikes they get or how many people laugh at them. Insanely different and unique, these videos show the creative sides to people all around the world. 

These two pillars are definitely connected to this blog I'm writing, in some ways at least.  My blog, first of all, is a pretty good representation of me.  My favorite color is green.  I like the beach.  I've developed a writing style that is very different from, say, my speaking voice.  My dad, who reads my blog on a regular basis, always comments how sometimes when he's reading, he almost has a hard time picturing that the person who is "talking" on his computer screen is his own babygirl.  "It's so funny but so different than the Angela I know," he says.  That's all art, is it not?  I've created something that is like me, but also isn't.  Do you follow?  It's okay if you don't.  That's art too!  Someone may read my blog and think A) I'm not very witty, B) I'm too sarcastic, C) I'm not organized, etc.  These are all attacks on my lizard.  The trick is to say, "to hell with them," make my art, and keep on keepin on.