July 5, 2026
In 1993, a stormy young Kathleen Hanna bounced on a small stage, holding a corded microphone pressed up against her mouth to create the same distorted effect made by the other band members and their respective instruments. She screamed, “rebel girl…! rebel girl…!” to a room full of sweating and vibrant riot grrl punks ready for a good time – and an awakening. Hanna, the lead vocalist for the early 90s feminist punk band Bikini Kill, described a partner who was so sure of herself, so direct and clear in her vision for gender equality, that even Hanna – a rebel girl in her own right, no doubt – was astonished by her. “I know I wanna take you home/I wanna try on your clothes/Love you like a sister always/soul sister, rebel girl/come and be my best friend/will you, rebel girl?”
The meaning in these lyrics is layered. Hanna is attracted to the Rebel Girl – but what is the reason? Is it because she wants to be with her, or is it because she wants to be her? Rebellion is difficult to grab hold of even for the confident singer. Would we not also call Kathleen Hanna a rebel for the influence she had on alternative music in the 90s, but also as a leader in the emerging feminist movement? Maybe Hanna does not always feel it.
What would it feel like if someone called you a rebel? What does it mean to be one?
I’m going to make a bold assumption that if you are reading this you are inclined to a rebellious nature. Or, at the very least, find the idea compelling. The central question for our purposes here at Rock Your Story is: how does a person bring rebellion into the creative process and what would that look like?
The way I see it, if you are going to be a creative in any capacity – personal or professional – it is important to come to terms with being a rebel and get a sense of what that would look like in your own life. While rebelliousness is a common theme in the myth of the artist, it is not something that the average person latches on to, unless their personality lends to it easily. For many, it needs to be an active choice.
We tend to approve of rebellion when we think of people like Leonardo da Vinci or Jackson Pollock, Joan Jett or Janelle Monáe. We see them as embodying superb creativity through their ability to be different. Yet, because of our audience position, we view their work and lives in retrospect – meaning, the story of making art is filtered through the art itself. Thus, that rebelliousness comes across as natural and acceptable. It is a part of the process, not a risky behavior.
We do not see the mistakes, the questioning, the moments of hesitation that lead up to their work. People generally believe that a rebellious nature is as natural to the Artist (yes, with a capital “A”) as the vivid imagination that lives in their brain and soul. It is the “rare” creative gene that many believe exists in the special few. Or in children. Never in so-called normal adults with day jobs. (Perhaps not you, though, because you are here choosing to read about rebelliousness.)
When it comes to turning that same ideology of rebellion on ourselves, there can be apprehension, even reeling. Maybe you allow yourself a bit of rebellion in the way you wear your hair or in your wardrobe, but what about the choices you make otherwise? Fear often gets in the way of playing the rebel because it could potentially open us up to criticism. A rebel is a dissident. They are nonconforming. They actively pursue the road less traveled… but this is hard when you need to pay the bills or take care of a family.
Rebellion does not need to be a complete toss-out of all the things that provide stability and safety in a person’s life. Rather, it is an attitude change that rejects the box placed around the options we leave open for ourselves. What does this look like, exactly? It comes in many forms, primarily dictating how we behave among our family, friends, and public spaces. Instead of describing it in cryptic ways, let’s look at a few concrete examples.
What would it feel like to:
- Pull out a sketch book to draw in a crowded waiting room
- Sign up for and attend a poetry reading or open mic night
- Start a blog – and write in it
- Join a writing group, theater company, or art-making collective
- Dedicate 30 minutes every day to creative work, telling your family to give you uninterrupted space during that time
- Go to a museum by yourself
- Start taking music lessons to learn a new instrument
- Reject the belief that you are not an artist, musician, or writer because you have not shown your work, played in front of people, or published a book
A lot of this seems a bit basic and not too earth-shattering, but it is all about a mentality change. Being a creative rebel starts by putting yourself in situations that feel slightly uncomfortable – even wrong – as the voices in our head tell us “No.”
Creative rebellion is not as drastic as it may seem, but it can be utterly transformative. It is the choice every day to do something that is different from the status quo, different from what is expected of us. We are all capable. Small choices lead to bigger ones, and we begin by looking in the places that scare us the most.
Leave a Reply