Originality.
- Rhea Maverick
- Jun 15, 2016
- 4 min read
Originality. Noun. The ability to think independently and creatively.
I feel like we’re stuck in a world where it’s more popular to follow a trend than to follow your imagination. Walking down the street I see young girls, teenagers, and adults, following the same trend. Especially with young girls today who are so much more mature mentally – at their age I would play man hunt and ride bikes, instead they heavily paint their faces, take photos of themselves and with other people to demonstrate their popularity, and post it on social media for the whole world to know to get as many likes as they can. Because the more likes they get, the better they feel about themselves. The only reason they’re posting this picture of you looking good on Instagram is so all of your friends can see who you’re hanging out with, so they follow and subscribe your fellow selfier. Girls posting pictures with their curled hair, heavily contoured and concealed faces, false eyelashes, plump lips. A man would be sent to jail for wrongly identifying a 14 year old as an 18 year old.
Especially on social media, which nearly everyone has access to. It’s funny how Instagram provides you with similar looking posts once you’ve liked a specific picture. For me, I liked a Kylie Jenner picture… and in my explore tab I was shown various girls with nose jobs, lip injections, eyebrows on fleek, cateyes, coloured contacts, wigs, and highlighted cheeks, noses, and upper lips. Thousands of different profiles, but you can put them side-by-side and say this is the same girl, just pictures taken at different angles.
As for me, I don’t have Kylie Jenner’s, or her predecessor’s features. Many people before her had lip injections, contoured faces, wigs, etc. – but because of her status in the world of social media, it is established that she “started” the trend. She simply just popularized it. Why? Because everyone want’s to look like her, and have her pictures since that’s what they consider beauty is – not themselves. Doing the same poses, same make-up (only because she’s kind enough to share her beauty hacks with the world). But don’t get me wrong – I don’t dislike Kylie Jenner. She was able to make a brand for herself separate from the Kardashians. What I don’t appreciate is the lies and the fakery that is set as a standard for 4 billion girls.
"I don’t appreciate the lies and the fakery that is
set as a standard for 4 billion girls"
We live in a world where instead of getting inspired by someone, we must be someone. We must have their tightly cinched waists, round butts, and bombshell bra’s because otherwise we’re considered different. We get stared at, given feedback that we “look different” – and why? Because we don’t look like everyone else out there. Sometimes I have weak days where I tell myself – buy this lip plumper, get this brand’s contour pallet, order a waist cincher online. And sometimes, I am strong enough to stay different from the rest of the population and consider my beauty as unique and my own, whereas other days I’m fooled by thousands of other Youtubers, Instagrammers, and bloggers that this product is to die for. So I haul myself to the mall and spend hundreds of dollars at makeup and clothing stores to take a photo and be that one girl thousands of girls can be.
We live in a world where the fashion industry readily available for individuals with mid-income, is made for everyone to look the same. The same high-waisted ripped jean shorts, bodysuits with low backs, crop tops, high-waisted skirts, and tennis shoes are available in each store, just sold by different brands with different prices. Imagine going to prom – as a girl this day is quite special whether you have a date or not. Because every girl establishes months before prom which prom dress she will wear – thus no other girls wear the same. God, imagine going to a prom where everyone wears the same dress.
"I’d rather be one unique snowflake that flurries down to the ground and melts away, than be a grain of sand on a beach that is 15 miles long. I will be me and no one else."
But I accept the fact that there are more than 7 billion people in this world and it’s hard to maintain that originality. I accept the fact that I can’t spend thousands of dollars on clothing items that are different, simply because they cost 4 times as much as an average item – therefore I have to buy clothes that many other’s have. But sameness is boring, and I’m doing anything in my power I can to be different from everyone and staying confident in my individuality. I’d rather be one unique snowflake that flurries down to the ground and melts away, than be a grain of sand on a beach that is 15 miles long. I will be me and no one else.
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