All right, so misfit magnolia. Ha, what in the world does that even mean? Here is the kicker, being a misfit is in our head, there isn’t actually such thing as being a misfit because we were all created by God with unique purpose that weave and fit together in ways more awe inspiring that anything we have ever imagined. So why am I using this word? Well because words mean something and this one I am reclaiming as good thing, I’m sure many of you who have stood up for what you believe in, tried to build something from nothing, been emotionally vulnerable, you name it, shared something counter to the mainstream have felt like “you don’t fit”. Those things that you think make you not fit ARE WHAT MAKE YOU FIT.
I have been building Brimworthy for so long and i it’s always been something that’s hard to like, (emphasis on the valley girl like here) just explain to someone and about six months ago I had a lightbulb moment.
Now when I say this, don’t get me wrong. I love Chip and Joanna and the Magnolia Network and all of that goodness. It’s beautiful. It’s WONDER-FULL too, but there’s something that isn’t fully me in it. Like I love everything but also the whole time I’m looking for a little edge. I love all of the peacefulness but I’m an intense person, passionately creative in a different way; I like moody but colorful but then not colorful at all, disco balls and old time movies kind of gal. I listen to hardcore bands (which have some of the most positive uplifting lyrics of any music genre), classical, country AND indie music all at once and I think all of that can also be found in Magnolia, but I enjoy things a little offbeat or more, overlapping beats. A little misfit and a little majestic. . I enjoy finding those little unique things in everything, those things that look like the don’t belong together or that you have no idea are hidden
It just occurred to me as I’m writing this, you go through all these things whenever you’re building something new where you want to like, narrow it down, in fact you’re told to “niche” down. And for so long I was trying to niche down to fit categories that already existed even though I have done branding foundation work with people for so long and am the queen of helping other people make up their own “category”, I couldn’t see that I wasn’t fully doing it myself. I was still trying to fit in another box, someone else’s box, a box that people for sure would want.
The thing is I will never fit in a box. Neither will you. And I hope that Brimworthy feels like a place where you get to be creative and fun, and your brand of peaceful. You get to be all at once a little bit misfit and also know you belong with other people because God created your misfit piece to fit together. This is the place where it you get to embrace the weird and the wonderful and the uncomfortable simultaneously. Sink into your little funky quirky nooks and find new ones. The whole point here is to break free from the mold and FULLY live.
It’s funny because we lived in Austin for so long and I used to joke because like I love I love love Austin and what I thought it would add to our lives to be around so much “cool” stuff. We lived in Austin. We lived in Portland. We lived in Melbourne, Australia, I mean we’ve lived in places that are all considered artsy and unique and each of them never filled that void, whatever it was that we were looking for because… its not the place, its what YOU bring to the place, what you FILL that place with and interact with personally that turns the light on, fuels it. All of these places have so many amazing things, but what happens is they lost their “weird” because everyone becomes the same weird and starts trying to “fit in” to the weirs so that suddenly nothing is weird.
The hope is this place grows and grows and eventually is beyond the internet and it a place with roots and bricks that hold a common truth and a whole lot of mystery from the people who fill it and grow with us. You can find a little piece of you here and also feel happy that you don’t have to fully fit in to live a Brimworthy life. You get to define what Brimworthy is to you and hopefully enjoy seeing what it is for me too 🙂
Whatever your misfit Magnolia is, what spins your disco ball, let’s have some fun finding it together.
xoxo,
Mama Chels
P.S These puzzles are SO fun. None of the pieces are normal and as you piece it together you are also solving another mystery, treat yo’self to one here.
