Why not fitting in is a strength

I’ve often felt out of place in environments that valued conformity over creativity. Although I tried my best to fit in, I ultimately ended up needing to make my own world.

 But the writer James Baldwin once said, “The place in which I’ll fit will not exist until I make it.” And Frank Zappa put it this way: “Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.”

To my mind,  not fitting in is a strength. It means you’re creating something bigger than the norm, something that doesn’t yet have a predefined label.

So when you find yourself on the outskirts, it’s not a sign to shrink back or conform; it’s a call to create. By stepping outside of what’s expected, you’re opening doors to new ideas, new possibilities, and new ways of thinking. 

The world changes when people 

By daring to build what we wish existed, we’re not just finding our own place—we’re changing the world.