…Dress appropriately without compromising your personal style aesthetic
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Meagan, a 35-year-old, self-proclaimed “punk-rock princess.” I mirror Franny, the protagonist in my children’s literature series, who is heavily into rock and roll and blues music. I’m not afraid to be myself, even if that means experimenting with a few wild hairstyles or busting out the black nail polish from time to time.
Perhaps it’s my passion for Poison, Def Leppard and Motley Crue. Perhaps it’s my passion for poetry — writers ARE supposed to be artistic types, right? Whichever way you spin it, it’s obvious I have an edgy side.
I also hold a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with a music concentration, a master’s degree in education and a multiple-subject teaching credential from Azusa Pacific University in sunny, Southern California.
Currently, I have set teaching aside to pursue my writing on a more mainstream scale. In addition to my children’s books, I contribute feature articles for the Event-News Enterprise (eventnewsenterprise.com) as well as the Sun News (sunnews.org).
Despite the transition to working from home — my aviator eyeglasses glued to the screen of a Lenovo laptop — memories of classroom teaching are in the back of my mind as I remind myself the importance of being edgy without being over the edge.
Whether it was pairing suit pants with heels or accessorizing an upscale gown with pretty pearl jewelry that didn’t make my 5’1”, 95-pound frame resemble that of a high school student over a credentialed teacher with a graduate degree, dressing appropriately is something I found important and still find helpful today. While it doesn’t guarantee long-term success in any professional field, it CAN aid in opening important doors along the way.
Throughout the years that I worked in the field of education, I went through a few different style phases. I am writing this piece in hopes that each phase will inspire you to find the right balance with YOUR style, learning to love and accept your inner AND outer appearance.
In phase one, I dressed conservatively — I wore pleasant, happy colors when teaching younger children and darker, more muted shades of black, brown and navy when working with junior high and high school students.
In phase two, I became comfortable with my presence as a teacher, feeling loved and respected by the many faces I worked with. The freedom I felt to explore my inner edginess became a detriment to my classroom management and ability to oversee the needs of my students. A desire to be seen as hip and cool left me wanting to befriend my students as opposed to showing with my actions that being cool comes from within. I explored wearing heavier eye makeup, occasionally wore ripped jeans and rarely made an effort to conceal my multiple ear piercings.
Phase three is where I began to develop core confidence. I learned how to play around with eyeliner to create a boldness around my blue eyes, ditched my partially purple hair for an edgier blonde and traded my brick red, matte lipstick for a natural gloss. In addition, I now accept that confidence is about so much more than outward appearances.
Singer/songwriter Matt Wertz once sang, “the thing about freedom, it’s so misunderstood. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
I’m still a self-proclaimed “punk-rock princess”. And yes, I have more freedom as a writer than I did as a teacher to explore my inner edginess. But it doesn’t mean I should.
These days, being edgy carries a whole new meaning. It’s not so much a look; it’s a mindset. I think kindness is edgy, partially because far too many people are afraid to let down their guard and simply be themselves. People try too hard and who am I to judge? Not long ago, I was the one who tried too hard, afraid that being nice meant I couldn’t crank up the stereo having “Nothin’ But A Good Time.”
Today I’m digging deeper into what freedom is all about. I’m using my freedom to be KIND OF edgy, just not over the edge.