What Kind of Weird Are You?

Childhood Oddities and Creative Voice

Oct 31, 2023

As I’ve been reflecting on finding my creative voice, one thing many sources encourage you to do is reflect on what makes you weird. Think back to your childhood and consider: what made you a weird kid? Ok, how much time do you have?

There are plenty of things that made me a weird kid—besides just the physical features of having red(ish) hair, fair skin, and freckles on my face. So the “assignment” I gave myself this past week was to make a list of what made me weird. Disclosing this list on a public platform is it’s own kind of weird but I’d love to hear what made you a weird kid, too. So let me know in the comments below!

A lot of my weirdness as a kid was rooted in quite sincere logic. My tennis shoes in 7th grade were falling apart so I lathered them in duct tape. I preferred playing with boys because they were less ~!*DrAmA*!~… my brother and I dug deeper holes than the kids from the Holes book because it made me feel good; I hated pizza because it was disgusting; I adopted a family of baby mice that I housed in a Kemps ice cream bucket and stored on the top shelf of my closet because they needed love (until my mom investigated after I had asked for unusual amounts of peanut butter); I was a pirate several years in a row for Halloween; I ate an Ice Cream Snickers bar and basket of French Fries almost exclusively every day for lunch in high school…

I enjoyed maintaining collections of various items. Of course there were Beanie Babies (of which I was a proud member of the TY Official Beanie Baby Membership Club), but then there were the other things like: a Cat Mug collection, DIY bookmarks made from Elmer’s glue using the top of my SPacEMakeR pencil box as a mold, a collection of antique soda bottles, and most of my savings would be spent on Spy Gear.

I imagine the point of reflecting on these things is to consider what makes you, you. Before the ego took hold, what were you unabashedly interested in? I do tend to find joy in nostalgia and the gift of memory that can be used to share a narrative. I look forward to illustrating some of these scenes in the coming months.

The Life and Art of Charles M. Schulz

Visiting the Exhibit at the Minnesota History Center

Charles Schulz: Life and Art Exhibit at the Minnesota History Center

I stopped by the Minnesota History Center this week to see the Charles Schulz exhibit. I enjoyed learning more about his melancholy nature, the evolution of The Peanuts, and how various characters were named. There was a large map of all the places he has lived in the Twin Cities and I couldn’t help but feel very curious and also a bit creeped out—this is what fame does apparently, turn your home into a historical marker!

I look forward to returning with my nine year old. The most interactive portion of the exhibit has several backlit drafting tables where you can trace your own Peanuts scene. The children who were there on a field trip swarmed this spot and it was fun to see their creations. There were some puzzle and reading nooks as well. If you find any joy in Charlie Brown and his gang, the exhibit runs through June 9, 2024 in St. Paul and you really should go. I don’t love “shoulding” on people though, so, you do you.

October Influences

I have been reading and listening to Dr. Munther Isaac, a Palestinian Christian Pastor who has been calling for a cease fire in Gaza. He is author of the book “The Other Side of the Wall” (InterVarsity Press) and the Pastor of Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem.
I enjoyed watching “You Hurt My Feelings” on my flight to Amsterdam. If you caught my last post, you read my recommendation of the movie “Past Lives.” This other film, “You Hurt My Feelings,” looks at long-term relationships and centers around trust, emotions, and basically… how honest do you want the people in your life to be? The female lead—a writer—feels extremely hurt when she overhears her husband tell a friend that he thinks her manuscript is bad. This is upsetting because he had only ever praised her writing to her. The husband is a therapist and has a high degree of emotional intelligence so it’s fun to watch the drama unfold and remember that even the most empathic people have interpersonal ruptures. A similar pattern plays out across a number of relationships in the film: parent to child; sibling to sibling; friend to friend. The “R” rating is mainly due to language.
Belonging to a Contemplation cohort at my church, Restoration Anglican. We just had our second monthly meeting and it has been restorative to learn and practice The Prayer of Examen. Jenni Nichols, who leads the cohort, introduced us to St. Ignatius: the gentleman had his leg hit by a cannonball, was unhappy about the way it healed, and then had it re-broke to set it in a more appealing manner. Yikes! (That was before his life had a major change in trajectory). Anyway, he also is known for founding the Jesuits and creating The Prayer of Examen. The Examen is a way to conclude your day, noticing signs of God’s presence and to discern direction.

Looking Ahead

November is literally tomorrow and here’s what I’m looking forward to:

Reading “Make Peace with Your Mind” by Mark Coleman — suggested to me by Beth Spencer for combatting some good ole imposter syndrome.
Discussing the first half of “The Perfect Marriage” by Jeneva Rose with my book club.
Enrolling in a 12 week mentoring program for illustrators to develop some more pieces for my portfolio.

Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy some candy today!