I have never been the most normal kid. A dork from the start in every sense. So the challenge of authenticity has never been that difficult to me.

But when I look around I can see how difficult it can be. I see people everyday, cut from different cloth and sewn into the same boring dress. The same Ugg boots and North Face or gym shorts and Nike t-shirt. The blank faces and dull eyes. They force the world into the boxes they create, forgetting that these cells only lock from the inside.

When I look around, I see the huddled masses trapped in their mental prison. Thousands of people armed to the teeth with gorgeous paint, yet refusing to paint their own canvas. I see them and I know what must be done. I grab my machete and cut through the red tape they bind themselves with. Bringing jocks to my trading card game tournament and teaching nerds how to play football. With the realization that the only bonds that can hold you are your own, I set these people free, knowing that they will be freeing others along their way.

Authenticity is being true to yourself and understanding that when you set others free you set yourself free.