Tell Us About Your Role Models

How Did it Work Out?

Role models. Let’s talk about that for a second.

I’m short on time today because Little Bean and I are heading to her school’s Little/Big Ball, with the dance theme of outer space! Apparently, she tells me I’m dressing like a space alien so… yeah, I have no idea what I’m getting into.

Anyway, as Little Bean has grown up, my thoughts and/or facilitation of role models for her has changed, become far less black and white.

I now have two distinct categories I use and two points within each of those categories.

They are:

1. Role Models that I think would be good for her vs. Role Models that she thinks are good for her.

2. People who do inspirational things that I think she should do as well vs. people who do inspirational things but she role models them for different reasons.

For example, just because someone is a painter I like does not mean that she’ll like him. And, even if she likes that person’s paintings, that doesn’t mean she’ll also want to paint - maybe that person’s work ethic, or personality is a perfectly good role model stand in.

If in the course of her and I working together to find role models for her, we come across someone we BOTH agree on, that’s great! Even better if we both love and are inspired by that particular art or creative process. But that is an exception, not the norm I’m finding.

A more direct example: She loves music. Loves listening to it. Loves a lot of the music I like. And wants to go to shows with me to see that music.

But, she also is beginning to like her own music, find her own role models. Wants me to TAKE her to see those musicians, that sort of thing. All good so far.

Now, let’s dig deeper.

Even though she loves music, and is indeed taking piano lessons and appears good at it, she hasn’t expressed much interest in actually being in a band or making her own music. And when she talks about musicians who are clearly role models to her - like the teens from the band Freeze the Fall - she often speaks of non-musical ways they inspire her.

They are theatrical and wear cool costumes and best of all, make masks and sing about masks for example, something she’s very interested in. They aren’t much older than her. She likes the music, but wants to emulate them for their theatrics and design.

Is this making sense? I’m ok with all of this by the way, because ultimately, role models are about the person behind the art. (Or maybe you don’t even need art at all and are just a good person, that’s fine!)

And of course, this is all separate from mentorship, that’s a topic for another time.

(An aside: By the way, Google “Role Models Illustrations” and you’ll be shocked to discover just how many images of literal super heroes there are, capes and flying and all. That’s just not even a little bit what I’m talking about here!)

So, all that said. Who were/are your role models? I don’t mean parents or family, that sort of thing. Did you have some outside role model growing up? Maybe someone you never even met. Inspiration either creatively or personally? Did you even know they were a role model at the time? We’d love to hear about that!