There’s something so empowering about telling people who you are and saying it confidently because you know who you are!
That’s probably why Rick James would say, “I’m Rick James, b!+**!” I’m just saying …
For those of us who have ever watched any Batman movies, Batman would bust on the scene just in time to confront someone about to commit an egregious act. Right before he made his superhero move he’d look the offender in their eyes and say, “I’m Batman.”
I used to get so hype, like, “Yeah, let ’em know what’s up Batman!” And then he’d fly away all extra cool, leaving people staring at him like, “Whoa!”
There are so many superheroes that comic books have given us throughout the years. Black Panther, Superman, Wonder Woman, Hulk, Thor, etc. Their personas of strength, morality, that bad-@$$ mentality, and let’s not forget being super cool are just a few things that many of us connect with. Depending on how much one loves superheroes, they most likely have influenced our personal character development in some way.
Merriam-Webster defines “character” as the way someone thinks, feels, and behaves: their personality.
Judy Blume has a Masterclass on “How to Develop A Fictional Character” in which she discusses the meaning of character development.
Judy says, “In fiction writing, character development is the process of building a unique, three-dimensional character with depth, personality, and clear motivations. Character development can also refer to the changes a character undergoes over the course of a story as a result of their actions and experiences.”
Even though we don’t live in a fictional world, we humans are three-dimensional and we sometimes wish we could possess the character qualities of our favorite superheroes. If we’re keeping it all the way real, some of us don’t even like ourselves, which is why we try to be another character.
It’s ok to want some of the same qualities of someone we admire, but don’t forget that we are “you-nique.” There’s only one you and nobody else can be a better you.
It becomes problematic when we morph into someone unrecognizable. It can be an overwhelming, difficult, yet delicate task identifying and loving our characters. If we don’t ever reach the capacity to know and love our character, then it becomes natural for us to adapt to whatever the current condition or circumstances are.
When we’re constantly morphing, people can’t identify us. They don’t know if we’re a Power Ranger, Aquaman, or Luke Cage. Therefore, we become unrelatable to most people which then leads to missed opportunities to make meaningful connections.
Yes, depression, loss, rejection, and basically life and all that it busts us upside our heads with, has a strong ability of changing our character. It happened to the Joker.
Unfavorable life events and the way some people treated him caused the Joker to become a criminal mastermind. The Joker was a diabolical villain and he looked crazy. But did he care? Nope! It was never his intention to be that way, but he allowed his life experiences to influence his depth, personality, and motivations. He totally embraced it. He knew he was twisted. But most importantly, he was confident and knew who he was.
What did the Joker always say? “Wait until they get a load of me!”
Let that proclamation marinate for a minute or two.
Ultimately, we have the final say in what happens to our character. We make the decision as to whether we will be true to ourselves. Will we be the hero or villain, optimist or skeptic, confused or clear, or confident or shy? It’s a choice.
Any type of development takes consideration and time. There’s a process involved. As time changes so do we, and that’s okay. As long as we can identify who we are in the midst of our development, there should be no shame and no confusion with how we see ourselves and how others see us.
Not all characters were created equal, which makes for an endless amount of adventurous, unpredictable storylines.
So, who are you?
What’s your intro line?
You may not know right now, but just wait until they get a load of you once you’ve fully developed. |THIS.
[By Keisha Crawford | Photo by Laugh Out Loud Solutions, LLC]
