conformity gets a smiley face

Just a thought...funny how people react to someone doing something "outside the box". I have noticed that my effort to try to chase this dream has created lots of gossip in certain circles. Somehow "outside the box" in my world is equated, by others, with me actually being morally/spiritually/emotionally flawed. It reminds me of kindergarten. If the ocean was supposed to be blue but I speckled it with colorful dots because that's how it looked to me when the sun reflected off of it, I got a red X and a re-do and the other kids with blue oceans got smiley faces. For once in my life, though, I am not looking for that smiley face... from anyone else...!