Happy Monster Monday! Now, if you have a snake phobia, let this be your trigger warning…but I do promise, this one doesn’t bite even though he might look like he might!
When I was little, I was fascinated by creepy crawlies of all kinds. Insects, amphibians, reptiles—you name it— was of interest to my eye and my need-to-know-more curious brain. As I got older, which tends to happen to many of us “grown-ups,” I started to let my wonder be tainted by fear. My curiosity replaced by disgust. After-all, what kind of FREAKY thing sheds its entire coat of skin on a regular basis? *Shudder*… Guess what? ALL KINDS OF THINGS. And bugs aren’t MEANT to cohabitate with humans, right? Well actually, nature IS MEANT to be EVERYWHERE. It was here long before we ever were and everything came from it! There are perfectly reasonable, respectable, and remarkable reasons as to why creatures are the way they are, and if we cared enough to find out, we might appreciate them more. So why are we suddenly (or gradually) freaked out by spiders and snakes and such, and while I’m on the topic, by ANYTHING or ANYONE we don’t understand or relate to? The only explanation I can think of? Fear. And along with fear comes an even more dangerous beast: judgment.
When we judge things, we assume we know that which we don’t and thus falsely attach our belief to the thing we’re judging. If we first looked at chocolate and thought, “Ew! THAT looks gross!” and proceeded throughout our entire lives refusing to taste it, how sad would we be if we missed out on a whole lifetime of CHOCOLATE!? Yup, this theory is sound (at least for chocolate lovers such as myself). How many things do we miss out on, dismiss, push to the side, or otherwise refuse to have an experience with because of judgements we make? And yeah, we’re human, we all do it. But if we can at least be more aware of when and why we do it, we have a better chance at instigating change in ourselves that can be, well, life changing.
So maybe try saying “Hi!” to that person you see daily but don’t seem to have anything in common with and just keep an open mind. Pick up that new art medium you’ve always said “I couldn’t/wouldn’t/shouldn’t/daren’t do THAT” about. Travel to a place not on the number one travel recommendations list. Of course, caution and safety should not be thrown into the wind (yes there exist poisonous snakes that are important to be aware of), but could we use our discernment in deciding what things we may be judging that maybe we need not be?
Enter Kevin. Kevin is my cousin Zoe’s neighbourhood cat, which I didn’t know at the time when she referred to Kevin as being a menace to her own cat. Well, with two overly creative minds at work, suddenly the below scenario had been summoned up and jokes ensued about Kevin in a fit of laughter: “Watch out for Kevin!”
Now this may appear to be darker humour than you’re used to from me here at Art of Nonsense, but I promise you, Kevin REALLY IS friendly and no cats were harmed metaphorically or physically in the making of this illustration. To be clear, Kevin simply pesters, not harms, this poor kitty. Now you can rest easy…
So Kevin is the reason I got thinking back to little Kristy and wondering why big Kristy is now so weirded out by snakes, like Kevin. And it got me thinking about how many other incredible and strange and wondrous creatures there are out there that I want to know all about, just like my curious mind wanted when it was carried by a younger me. Scales and skins and teeths and creepy crawly legs and all 😉 So perhaps Kevin is the first in a line-up for reclaiming “freaky” creatures with a sense of curiosity and wonder. What do you think!? If you’d like, take a moment to think about who YOUR Kevin is (a.k.a. your “freaky creature”). How could you think about it in a different light so that creatures like Kevin can get the love— or at least the respect— they so deserve? Perhaps start with a google search for a few new fun facts about your dear friend Kev…
As always friends, be sure to Follow Your Creativity (and curiosity)!
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Pssst- what I write in this blog is a reflection of my own ideas and experiences and/or interpretations of any referenced material. The content of this blog is for entertainment and/or informational purposes only. I am not an expert or therapist and cannot be held liable for any content provided or how it is used. Please enjoy at your own discretion. I reserve the right to change the content or management of this blog at any time. That said, I hope you enjoy it! © 2022 Kristina Durst aka Kristy Anne Fae All Rights Reserved.
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