Creativity and Rebellion

 

“Creativity is the greatest rebellion in existence.” Osho

What Osho said! And here's a story about Creativity and Rebellion partying together at my house awhile back.

A bit of backstory first: Before my daughters and I started unschooling they both attended parochial school  - the same Missouri-Synod Lutheran elementary school that I went to as a kid. Manchild, who is a lot younger than his sibs, was born into a full-on unschooling environment

Once upon a time, prior to Halloween festivities, an edict concerning costumes was sent home from the girls' school. It was decreed that, for their classroom Halloween parties, the children were only permitted to wear costumes representing Bible characters.

I don't know whose idea it was, or what prompted them to come up with new rules - but I remember thinking that someone seemed upset by ghouls, floozies and costumes encouraging violence.

From childhood on I've had a perverse reaction to being told what to do and/or how to do it.

Even when I agree with rules they get on my nerves. Hell, I even have trouble following rules I make for myself. The rebel spirit jumped up and bit me on the ass when I read that costume commandment note.

I knew I'd figure something out. We'd comply with the letter of the law, but...

Aside: You know, if the person(s) who came up with the costume rule had done their research, they'd have realized they were leaving the door wide open on ghouls, floozies and costumes encouraging violence when they mandated Bible-only costumes.

Jeez, we could've gone with the John-the-Baptist's-head-on-a-silver-platter theme, or represented any number of harlots - or demons (knocking people around or just being flung into pigs) - or terribly violent folk. I'm telling you - the door was wide open!

I'm pretty sure the rule maker(s) was/were thinking of fluffy lambs, meek and mild Mary's, shepherds and the like. But they weren't specific!

Enter Square-Peg creativity! I used to sew costumes for competitive skaters, baton twirlers and such - so I had a decent amount of flesh-colored stretch fabric around. What if...

someone went as Eve? With strategically-placed felt leaves. Gloria, my middle child, liked the idea (see picture below).

Ah, creativity and rebellion - always puts a smile on my face!

 

 

What was your favorite Halloween costume? Or might you have a Square-Peg following-the-letter-of-the-law-but-maybe-not-the-spirit-of-the-law story you'd like to share? Do tell!

 

This is a highly edited version of a post originally shared in 2010.
Photo ©Karen Caterson, 1988 (from back in the day when you wouldn't know until you got the photos developed whether your kid was blinking/making a face when you took the shot - sigh).