I’ve had plenty of ups and downs as I’ve galloped my way on what I call “the Rainbow Path” of creativity and outside-the-mainstream living and dreaming. Every time I was knocked down, I got back up and found that my Unicorn horn—the mark of being different, magical, unmatched—got a little longer and thicker. I don’t feel like I’ve reached the stratosphere of creativity I’m aiming for—yet. I’ve been applauded by some for being “bold and innovative” and criticized in equal measure by others for being “difficult and too risky.” Many times in the last thirty years of my professional life, I’ve wondered, “What the hell have I gotten myself into?” But in my heart, I always knew that the unconventional life was my only option, however terrifying it can be.
How could I be anything but strange? I was the weirdest kid in the room at five, and I’m still the oddest person to walk into the room at fifty. Most of my adult experiences, good and bad, relate back to my peculiar childhood and have contributed to making me an extraordinary human being. It took many years on a foreversteep learning curve to figure out how to be me unapologetically and to accept every bizarre part of my past. When I stopped worrying about having friends, or being fat, or following a predictable path, or trying to be a commercially sellable artist, I began to come into my own. By standing strong in my uniqueness and walking with faith in a universal, positive energy and in myself, I found my power and glory. When I was a young girl, I felt I had to push and fight for every inch. Later on, my movements as a choreographer came from a place of exploding out of confinement into freedom. What once held me back eventually propelled me forward. It took a while, but I clued in to the power of transformative magic and created a unique vocabulary to communicate it to others. Audiences understood and felt the proud, humble, unapologetic glory of my message. As I created more and took even greater risks, I came into my full power as an artist and a woman. Mia Michaels, Queen Unicorn, was unleashed.
My struggle became my friend. The abnormality turned into creativity. Creativity turned into connection. Connection gave me the life, success, and career I have now.
By accepting your oddness as your greatest gift:
You can take the shortcut to glory.
You can feel comfortable in your skin.
You can turn negatives into positives.
A common theme I’ve heard from artists and makers across every creative field—from chefs to stand-up comics, writers, and innovators—is that when you stop trying to be like someone else and doing what others expect of you, when you let go of ego and insecurity, magic finally happens.
Your life can be a magic carpet ride—you just have to make the conscious decision to live it that way. Magic is all around us if you choose to see it. Choose to be a Unicorn. Access your uniqueness and let it shine.