Embrace the Garth

I recently had the honour of being featured in a publication from my high school about graduates finding success in the arts, which was awesome!  There was a large photo, a lovely write-up, and when it arrived in print I had a moment of feeling like I was fifteen again and finally sitting at the “cool table.”   

But I had a comical reality check right around the same time, when I received a Facebook message from one of my former classmates.  It went something like, “I just don’t recognise you from any of your photos, but judging from our mutual friends we must have attended high school together? Who are you?”

Amazingly, I was immediately transported to fifteen again.

The reality is that, without a village of hair and makeup helpers, I don’t naturally look like a Parabola West photo.  Back in high school, before I discovered make up and over-accessorising, my look was probably more like Garth from Wayne’s World.  Of course this person didn’t recognise me! 

High school can be a tough time for creative types.  We tend to blossom a bit later in life!  Luckily I went to a school that valued the arts and gave me an outlet for all of that awkward teen angst.  It was truly the best place for me at the time.

The moral of the story is:

Don’t get too caught up in Image, and embrace the funny moments that keep you grounded!