I believe that every human being is unique. This is a fact not just my belief. And yet, the structures in our world don’t always support uniqueness.
As my children have just completed their 4th and 1st grades with exceeding academic success but were unhappy for most of their school year and felt completely suppressed while at school, I am inquiring about what it means to nurture individuality in the world today.
I grew up thinking it was better to be modest, which was difficult for someone whose whole intention in life is to be freely expressed and creative.
Some people are so talented that we are all awestruck when we witness their work. Their talent goes beyond all our expectations and witnesing it makes us feel like we are in touch with the Divine.
And then, there are people whose talents come from a variety of places but a struggle to also make a living can feel like it’s slowing down their wordly success. My friend Karen is an amazingly talented singer and songwriter with a unique performance style. I mean, who sets a Prime Minister’s speech to music to make a point about inequality? And then has an entire orchestra perform it.
As I enjoyed Karen’s concert last night at the Triad Theater in NYC, with many of our mutual friends, I wondered how I can help create more structures in the world that normalize and support uniqueness such that people like Karen, can have a more consistent and reliable access to the stage on which they can shine and inspire others.
I worry that if we continue to reward templates (which are overpowering the world of business and art today), our unique impulse to create can get lost in the mix of trying to survive the world where our basic human needs are not met.
It’s my desire to live in a world where creativity and personal expression can thrive and I celebrate Karen accomplishing that last night.
