One of the things I used to want, was to be an i-D cover girl. I have always loved the playful and iconic photography. Grace Coddington is a perfect representation of this goal because she was famous in her own industry but never to the outside world until the September Issue aired. The best part is, she became famous for all the right reasons. It began with her work but those who couldn't necessarily relate to the intimate world of fashion fell in love with her due to to her passion and personality. Which has me wondering, why is it that when you tell someone you want to be famous, there's almost always a negative connotation?
Mentioning my desire for fame has always been met with first a strong emotional reaction that you can feel radiate from your friend like a punch to the gut, as if I must be really pompous to want such a thing. It is then followed by an incredulous "you want to be famous?" We then launch into a debate about what fame means and how they don't want to be famous. However, I don't ever recall hearing about why. Why don't they want to be famous? What does fame mean to them?
For me, it has always been the idea that your work or you as a person, resonates enough with others to inspire or motivate them to do as you do. Of course, there are varying degrees of fame. Rest assured I am not talking about wanting to be hoarded by thousands of people or followed by paparazzi. I just want to be able to show others that if you want to change things, you have to be that change (as Ghandi says). Fame allows you to reach a larger audience and to create the change you crave quickly.
I've decided not to feel ashamed to admit that I want fame. I have too much to say and have no desire to let others tell me what is normal and what isn't. We are all important in our own way and if it takes fame to make that clear, then that is what I want. At the end of the day, it's just a word. The context of it is up to you. If you see it negatively, that's what it'll be. I see it as a way towards freedom.
This quote (from an Apple advertisement) never fails to impress:
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward. Maybe they have to be crazy. How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels? While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
