I Broke the Tim Burton Code

Ah~ha...I figured it out! 

Like many of you I have adored the  work of Tim Burton on a level that I have not experienced in another director.  His work across the board moves me to the core.  I often wondered if I wanted to be a director and that's why I like him.  Should I draw even though I don't particularly enjoy it?  Should I dress funky and watch old horror movies all the time?  How can I be more like him?  I love his fearlessness.  I love that he makes movies "his way" and everyone knows it when they see his work.  I love that he understand the things that I do: that not all things that "look" nice are, and those things that appear "odd" are often real and wonderful.  I related to Jack the pumpkin king to a tee.  I've lived my life mostly to do what others think I should.  I've been attracted all my life to people that are free to express themselves and fill others lives by doing so.  "How do they do that," I'd say.  What the hell is the code. 

Alas ~ I've discovered it.

From what I can see Tim was an only child and his parents weren't particularly tuned in to him.  He was alone and lonely and if he came out of his room with his hair in a bush, no one was there to say, "go comb your hair."  In other words - no one was there to tell him to do things their way.....His foundation was founded on "doing things on his own and his own way." 

This weekend I was driving and I had the CD "Ask and it is Giving," by Jerry and Ester Hicks playing.  One of the exercises was to visualize that you are a movie director and you get to decide how things will look, how people will act and where the scene will take place.  It's an exercise in stretching your mind to think of what things would look like if "you" were in charge.  And that was it - Tim does a movie and tells everyone who, where and what it will look like.  In the end the movie looks like Tim. 

For those of us that had someone telling us who we should be, what we should look like and where we should live - that practice is beyond difficult.  But it is the key.  As you know I've been obsessed with living authentically, finding out what I like and practicing living everyday "what do I WANT in this moment."  Finally my life is more grand then I ever dreamed possible.  Why - because the dreams I dreamed previous to a large degree were based on what someone dreamed for me and how I would fulfill their dreams for them...

Tim is special because he is one of the few that was free to be himself as a child.  Those of us that put on our social masks first thing in the morning have a difficult time leaving it home in the morning.  But practice, practice leaving that damn mask at home, step into your life in your full glory, and if you don't know what that is - practice.  With every choice of the day practice asking yourself, "do I want this, and how would I do this, how would I wear this, how would I put this."  It will take time, but one day your life will look like you maybe for the first time. 

I love the analogy of being a director.  Let's decided that our lives are the one movie we will make.  Let's decide for ourselves what it will look like. 

I've had to confront family members that say, "well if you love me you'll buy this car or do what I say.: As Byron Katie says in her book, "I need your love, Is that true," that's not love, it's approval.