I read this somewhere:

“When you’re a kid, you color with RECKLESS ABANDON.
You color OUTSIDE the lines. You color however you FEEL.
Blue elephants, purple trees,
red bears,green oceans,
it’s all good.
As you get older, though, everyone tells you to stay INSIDE the lines,
to color everything JUST like you see it. You end up painting by numbers –
whether you ACTUALLY paint,
or whether you write or sing,
or dance or act or direct.
I think you should create what you FEEL.
Create OUTSIDE the lines.
I want to watch Green oceans and Red bears. I’d love to listen to Purple trees and I long to read Blue elephants”. – WRDSMTH

We have here 5 celebrated personalities who chose to Paint outside the lines, or Who broke away from their limiting circumstances , Who were pioneers in their field or brought about gigantic change:
1.Edouard Manet –

Born to an Upper class family, at his father’s suggestion, in 1848 he sailed on a training vessel to Rio de Janeiro. He failed twice the Examination to join the Navy. (Very clearly showing he had no inclination). His father then relented to his wishes to pursue an art education. His work caused many painters’ eyes to open and their jaws to drop.
His early masterworks, The Luncheon on the Grass (Le déjeuner sur l’herbe) and Olympia, in 1863 was rejected by “The Paris Salon” for exhibition of these works. There was a lot of controversy and long discussions against his work, it paved the way to young painters who would create Impressionism. Today, these are considered watershed paintings that mark the genesis of modern art.
He was one of the first 19th-century french artists to paint modern life, and he was a crucial figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism.
He said : “I paint what I see, not what others like to see”.

2. Cristóbal Balenciaga –

A Spanish Basque fashion designer he began exhibiting his love for tailoring as early as 12 years of age working alongside his mother who was a seamstress. He created many firsts and dared to Break stereotypes, it was not until the post-war years that the full scale of the inventiveness of this highly original designer became clear.
In 1951, he totally Changed the silhouette of the women’s dress , broadening the shoulders and removing the waist. In 1955, he designed the tunic dress, which later developed into the chemise dress of 1957. in 1959, eventually, his work culminated in the Empire line, with high-waisted dresses and coats cut like kimonos. He has been famous for using the female body as a living sculpture upon which he carved his creations

He was named as the “the only couturier in the truest sense of the word” by Coco Chanel.

3. JK rowling-

A graduate of Exeter University, Rowling moved to Portugal in 1990 to teach English. There, she met and married a Portuguese journalist and had a daughter. After her marriage ended in divorce, She struggled to support her daughter and herself on welfare, at the same time, Rowling worked on a book, the idea for which had occurred to her while she was traveling on a train from Manchester to London in 1990. After a number of rejections, (yes those were her limits /boundaries which she battled against and let her truest colours of herself blossom) She finally sold the book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (the word “Philosopher” was changed to “Sorcerer” for its publication in America), for the equivalent of about $4,000. Today she is famous for being a British novelist, screenwriter and film producer best known as the author of the Harry Potter fantasy series.
She said :It is our choices…that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.

4. Jim carey –

A synonym to most for a crazy, eccentric, comic who’s brought us some of the highest-grossing comedies of all time. But, what we don’t know is his story of struggle. He grew up in a lower-income family with a father who struggled to keep jobs. They were so poor that he had to drop out of high school at the age of 15 and get a job as a janitor just to help support the family. His father tried to help the young comedian put together a stage act, but Carrey’s impersonation and he failed at his stage show, he then was unsure about his skill as a professional entertainer. His Financial family struggles only made it almost impossible to continue on the distinctively different path of being a comic. He relentlessly kept giving the best of what he believed he was made of .1994 was the year for Carrey! He was cast in the lead roles in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask and Dumb and Dumber. Dumb and Dumber was a commercial success, grossing over $270 million worldwide.

Desson Thomson from The Washington Post saying of Carrey’s approach to the character of Count Olaf, in The film a series of unfortunate events

Olaf is a humorless villain in the book. He’s not amusing like Carrey at all. To which I would counter:” If you can’t let Carrey be Carrey, put someone boring and less expensive in the role. In his various disguises he’s rubbery, inventive and improvisationally inspired.“

5. David Carson –

Is an American graphic designer, art director and surfer. (Yes he is bringing all the different facets of himself to the fore!) He is best known for his innovative magazine design, and use of experimental typography.
In a feature story, Newsweek magazine said of Carson that he “changed the public face of graphic design”. His layouts featured distortions or mixes of ‘vernacular’ typefaces and fractured imagery, characterized by “dirty” type which adheres to none of the standard practices of typography making them almost Unreadable. Indeed, his motto – the ‘end of print’ questioned the role of “type” in the progressing age of digital design.
Design writer Steven Heller has said, “He significantly influenced a generation to embrace typography as an expressive medium”.

Had any of these great tenacious artists given up following their heart, or had they not been persistent and just folded up what they had to offer to the world, or smothered their genius, Would we not miss out -on Innovation, on progress , on brilliant new perceptions?

What a drab world would it be!

We need to bring out all that throbs inside our being , not being afraid to be different or crazy, not being faint of heart but just being loudly, recklessly, purely ourselves!