Friday, April 2, 2010

A Hero in Gublerland

A little while ago, during a bout of insomnia, I found my way to Gublerland.  "What is that?",  you ask.  Well, it is the brainchild/ alter-ego/true soul of Matthew Gray Gubler.  I found it by accident and have been drawn back to it during subsequent bouts of insomnia, though it does warp dreams once sleep finally takes hold.  This site is full of interesting bits.  It's like a treasure hunt of little things to find and open.

On his way back from the bathroom, my oldest peeked over my shoulder.  I heard a sleepy, "what is that?" from behind me.  Scared me half to death actually.  Anyway, he pulled up a chair and I explained who the man is.  "He's that guy on criminal minds.  You know, the nerdy one.  Oh, he was the voice of Simon the chipmunk".  My son looked at picture of him and just couldn't see him as Simon, but thought it was neat anyway.  I'm putting this on here not because I'm his biggest fan, though I might be now, but because of what he did for my son.  Okay, he himself didn't do a darned thing, but his website sure did.

My son is very shy.  He is wonderfully creative and musically inclined.  Yet, he has a confidence issue.  Okay, maybe that isn't entirely correct.  He just thinks that nothing he does is perfect enough to be good, and if it isn't "good" to him how could anyone else stand it.  In reality, this kid is amazing, (perhaps I'm a bit biased).  Despite our diligent encouragement and the fact that we point out things that he enjoys regardless of their lack of perfection, he still is very hard on himself.  Enter Gublerland.

As he pulled up a chair beside me, I was scrolling through some artwork on the  Gublerland site.  My boy, was not impressed so much by the pictures themselves, as by the form or style.  You see, Gubler's art isn't perfection, by any stretch.  It is warped and twisted and glorious for what it is.  My son was enthralled.  He kept asking questions and was wide-eyed and finally understood what we have been trying to teach him.  He never has to be perfect.  When it comes to his creativity especially, he can just feel his way.  He learned, or is in the process of learning, that a drawing of a dog doesn't have to be a perfect replica to get the point across.  He learned that warped and twisted is perfectly acceptable, and not to be suppressed but celebrated as a different piece of who he is, (not that he's all dark and twisted, but we all have our moments).  He learned that a lopsided smile can be beautiful.  He learned that ordinary and extraordinary are just two steps apart.  He learned that if so many people can like the paintings and sketches that he was looking at, then maybe, he's a lot better than he thought he was.  Oh yeah, he also couldn't get enough of clicking on little oddities to see what weirdness would ensue.

Since that night, my son seems much lighter.  It's like he has been released from the doubt that bound him.  He doesn't believe that he is amazing, but he does acknowledge that he has some talent.  He is beginning to take the time to enjoy his endeavors more.  He isn't lost within himself while doing something that he loves. He is allowing himself the first steps of freedom.  This is something that, try as I might, I just could not teach him.  It is one of those lessons that he needed to learn in his own time, his own way.

So again, I say Woo Hoo, and a huge thanks to Matthew Gray Gubler.  Long Live Gublerland!


10 comments:

farahin said...

wow, matthew reads it,
it posted your tweet as his favourite..
wow..nice one!!

PrttyBrd said...

Thanks, I wouldn't have known had you not told me:) Made my day!

knzicarter said...

Wow. This is such an amazing story! Matthew Gray Gubler is my hero, and he has kind of had the same affect on me. I have been more, well myself, after I was introduced to Matthew. He is a very inspirational person, and makes for a great hero. I hope to become as affecting on people when I get older, seeing that I am only 14. I wish to become an actress someday, and hope to help people be ok with themselves. Matthew is an amazing person, and I hope to meet him someday.

PrttyBrd said...

mikenzincarter, that is wonderful thing to aspire to. When your dreams come true and you are in the public eye, you will have an incredible opportunity to reach so many people. It's nice to see that you would use that ability for good. Good luck, and thanks for your comment:)

Tuan Milo said...

yeah, i assume u didn't know..
that why i comment about it..
i consider nobody realise about his favourite tweets..

have anice day!!!

Unknown said...

It is wonderful to find that one can unknowingly inspire another just by being themself. No matter how insignificant one feels about their own abilities, just know that somewhere out there you might be helping someone else in their personal struggle to find themself. That is an amazing achievement and I send my biggest and best wishes to both Matthew Gray Gubler and the boy he inspired to be himself and learn to be comfortable in his own skin. God bless you both :)

gublerette24 said...

Matthew is a wonderful inspiration to all. What you see is what you get with him. He is honest and humble. Matthew does not give himself enough credit for all that he has accomplished. He is so amazing. I too would love to meet him someday. I wish Matthew the best in all of his endeavors.

Unknown said...

Wow, I am SO glad that I read this... I'm in my thirties and a lot of the time, I STILL feel like the boy who was inspired by Matthew. It's funny though, in looking at Matthew's art, I too have come to realise that something doesn't have to be 'perfection' to be perfect just the way it is. I need to remember to apply that thought to myself and my own accomplishments. It's a great lesson to take away from Matthew's art... in fact, the more I read / learn about Matthew Gray Gubler, the more amazing I think he is.
PrttyBrd, thanks for sharing your wonderful article.

Rebeccaface said...

This is heart-warming =')

Katrina said...

Matthew Gray Gubler has always been an inspiration to me and to alot of other people. He's just that type of person that can always make you think that not everything you do has to be perfect to be awesome. He has, again, always inspired me to not criticize myself for all of my mistakes and to go for what I really want. I'm 13 and I already know what profession I want to have when I'm old enough because of him. I want to be an FBI profiler so I can make a difference in my life. He inspired me to pursue that specific career and I thank him for that. I sometimes feel like the boy and feel like my art doesn't have to be perfect to have people like it. ;ig shout-out again to Matthew Gray Gubler for inspiring me and I hope you're son goes for his dreams, also!