misguided
there comes a point
in time
when uncomfortable
is the only feeling.
your skin is pulled
too tight,
your hair seeps
from its french braids,
and your innocence
falls like tears.
the mirror is a lair
and yet it’s all you
trust in.
but if you
insist
on covering your skin,
hiding behind hair,
and crying until
your vision blurs,
then cry because
of laughter;
hide behind
your hair
when you’re
afraid to let
him see your
‘falling-in-love’
grin;
and bury
the old you
beneath your bones
and let who you
want to be
show through
every inch
of you.
Shakespeare
I have not read much Shakespeare but I shall share the lines that I particularly like; for I cannot pick just one.
"A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool."
"Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."
"Hell is empty and all the devils are here."
"To be or not to be..."
"I would challenge you to battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed."
Those are just some of the ones that I like, but there are so so so so many others.
The Rise of Soul in Social Media
The Rise of Soul in Social Media.
For many years the superficial has reigned supreme in the war for our collective attention. Fought on the digital battlefields of social media platforms, selfies, post workout pics, and faces that would make Zoolander cringe, captivated more of us than we would like to admit. Entire days of our precious lives have been unceremoniously sacrificed for a rush of endorphins delivered by meaningless memes, valueless vines, and goofy GIF’s. Many of us can relate to falling victim to mindless scrolling and clicking leading you unwilling through a web of connections before landing on your friends-sisters-friends-boyfriends-brothers-cousin Halloween picture from 2009. There is no shame in having survived these trying times. The dark age is over and change is upon us. Evolution is taking place right under our screens. Social Media is developing a soul.
Finding the begining of the shift will prove difficult. Some will say it was the cats. Claiming their antics that once drove us to ecstatic emotional peaks, eventually awoke us to the reality that we have missed three meals and at least two bathroom breaks as we compulsively consumed their meows. Others will point fingers to the “women of instagram” as the breakers of the camel’s delicate back. These women with their divinely sculpted figures, clad in the finest jewels, and skimpiest clothes, some will say that these women were the metaphorical angry girlfriend that broke their metaphorical boyfriends phone and ended the metaphorical spell. Regardless of excessive use of metaphors or the unknown origin of the shift, the fact is it is happening. For a number of reasons.
Our palate for content is being refined. With the abundance of options we are becoming more aware of what we really want. And no it is not Kim K’s duck face. Or ass for that matter, though many would say it is a work of art. We are seeking connection, discovery, and soul. We wish to witness a manifestation of the imagination that has never before been materialized. To see the world from an angle never before captured. Read a series of words that conveys a message that represents something you have always known to be true but needed to see it in this way to fully own your own brilliance.
Self-expression is becoming more complicated, intricate, and authentic. Peer pressure is pushing us to expose more of who we are, to be more vulnerable, more complete more whole. We are being forced to expand our creativity and comfort zone if we wish to keep up with the ever-accelerating train of “being trending”. As a result of that expansion the social atmosphere has changed. The air has become conducive to the creative’s, types who would normally happily remain in their burrows. We are now observing the emergence of introverts, rising from their dens to bless the world with their gifts. Authors, artists, photographers, misfits, madmen, and dreamers are dancing fearlessly on the collective dance floor.
The soul in social media has not fully formed; it is only beginning to emerge. We are seeing in its wake, that new platforms designed specifically with the soul in mind, are grooving onto the scene. As they do, the carvers of culture, wielders of worlds, and bearers of knowledge both ancient and new join their ranks, eager to rain in this new reign. The time is now to turn inside. Open all the drawers and compartments and let it pour out onto a page. Make room for the soul. It will be trending before too long.
