Artistic Tips: Inspiration and Thought Process (part 1)

There's nothing new under the sun. Everything is a remake of a remake of a remake. That's life. That's what we have to work with, but we can work with it. For poetry, for any writing, for any art, there's always a muse, a source of inspiration.

These two poems were inspired by the song "Postcard" by Bridgit Mendler. (Take a listen here. This was just the first thing when you google the song.) I loved the spirit and message of the song. It's about breaking down oppressive gender stereotypes. It's in the spirit of the "Like A Girl" campaign that you might have seen during the SuperBowl. Girls can play sports and run and throw and hit just as well as boys. But this song takes the necessary next step. At about 1:14 in that video, it talks about the flip side. Boys can like fashion and ballet. It doesn't make them gay or less of a boy. So that really struck a cord with me. So there were a few words that stuck out and really connected with me and I just went with it.

"Transition"
When I think about traditional gender roles and what boys and girls should do, I think about fairy tales. Knights saving damsel in distress. Until more recently, that was the gist of it. Girls need macho boys to save them. Boy need to be big and strong so they can have girl they want. But that's not reality. You grow up and realize that the world is a pretty messed up place and everything you learned when you were little was a lie: Santa Clause, the Tooth Fairy, Till Death Do Us Part.

Then I thought about how those fairy tales translate into what we as little kids dream about and what if I, as a boy, wanted the same things girls dreamt about. For the record, I didn't really want to crossdress, but you can read about how Jesus made me want to crossdress here. But I do like fashion, accessories, jewelry, and I do want to be the one to be proposed to, and I do have my dream wedding planned with white roses and vanilla cake.

And then from dreaming, I contrasted what "boyish" things I didn't like with what "girly" things I did like. From the song I got the idea of sports and getting dirty and ballet. But everything in this stanza is true of me.

The closing stanza is reflecting on the chorus of the song: "So what make you think that it's girls/boys only, no boys/girls allowed?" Boys will be boys and girls will be girls. And that's fine. But not all boys and not all girl will be like that. And that's also fine. Your chromosomes don't define your identity and what you like or don't like. #YouDoYou

(Other poem in Part 2 here)

"Transition"

Poetry - "Transition"

“Transition”
by David Wright

Once upon a time I believed in Fairy tales
In pirate patches and ships setting sail
In evil witches losing their magic powers
In freeing damsels locked in their towers
In knights jousting in their shining armor
In Cinderellas meeting their Prince Charmers

But now I know better because now I live
In the real world where people forgot how to forgive
There's more to a story than tradition
Since this world is always in transition
Even saints can be condemned as sinners
And sometimes losers become winners

Once upon a time I wanted to be a girl
To wear high heels and precious pearls
To be a princess with a pretty pink dress
To be proposed to by a prince and say yes
To have my wedding with white roses and vanilla cake
To have an album of all the photos I would take

I didn't want to play sports or wrestle in the dirt
I didn’t want to do anything where I could get hurt
I didn’t want to play with monster trucks
I wanted to play tea party with my stuffed ducks
I wanted to twirl around like a ballerina
I wanted to be pretty and smart just like Athena

Boys will be boys. Girls will be girls.
But that's not the only rule in the world.
Gender roles are chosen by our definitions
Not assigned like a military conscription.
You are free to be whoever you feel is true.
You get to write your own story. You do you.