The Art of Nonconformity

I love how much I learn about myself and the world every single time I step outside my comfort zone.  I spent the weekend painting at the Lakeside Plein Air Festival, and this was my third year.  See more of what I made HERE.  I was almost as uncomfortable as I was the first year.  I feel very inadequate and not enough and judged.  {Basically all that internal junk we project out onto others so we don't have to really own it.}

Then I had the best little conversation with a customer at the paint sale at the end.  We were talking about the little box canvases I paint.  Most of the work I created this weekend and was showing today was 
4 x 4 x 1 inch or 4 x 12 x 1 inch.  This is an unusual size and shape, and my work doesn't look particularly "plein air," if you know what I mean.

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He then said something like:  So you don't even fit in with the artists!  Now that's saying a lot!  We were laughing about that, and then he said, "I hope you never fit it.  Your style is great!"

This made me realize that if I was feeling too comfortable I probably would not be true to my own style,  Above all the weekend was a great reminder that even in art the art of staying true to yourself is a rare and precious treasure.  We are the masterpieces, and what we create just flows from that.  

This is powerful stuff, people.  I'd love to hear from you {yes, I sincerely mean that} about how you are being reminded to stay true to your uniqueness.  

I'm sending you courage for the week ahead that you may stay true to yourself and frequently practice the art of nonconformity.