I wanted to take a dive into something that’s constantly on my mind: mystery vs. authenticity.
Let me first preface this with a little side note that these are all my own thoughts, based on my own experiences + are in no way meant to tell anyone how to go about life.
Mystery
Here’s the deal: I am a BIG fan of mystery! I LOVE knowing that people don’t “know” me beyond a certain point; that there are some things about me that take some digging + actual deep connection to learn or understand about who I am + why I do the things I do (this is obviously a big part of why I love painting + using symbolism to express myself).
I also LOVE that air of mystery around another person. It’s so exciting to me to learn about someone + find out who they really are at a deep level.
Authenticity
But on the other hand withholding, or holding back, who you truly are can be exhausting. Have you ever just stayed quiet when you had something to say in the name of trying to be cool + mysterious? Or worse, not living your day-to-day as exactly who you are maybe because it feels like that’s not good enough or right?
I have to admit that I spent a lot of my early years trying to play it cool + act in accordance with my peers. As I get older I’m learning that that kind of sucks though. It’s so much easier for me to tell my friends: “I don’t want to go out tonight,” not to be mysterious but because I need to recharge my batteries as an introvert and I DON’T FEEL GUILTY.
I think ultimately there has to be some sort of balance between mystery + living authentically. What do you think? What aspects of who you are do you keep a mystery or are totally authentic about?
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