My Heart Can Be a Liar

yellow-day:

For instance I own a vintage Mexican dress. I find it beautiful, I enjoy wearing it, though I recognize that it is not of my own culture. Does this make me a horrible person?

I have a dream catcher above my bed. I love dream catchers. I love the idea and the aesthetic quality. Should I not have one because I’m not a Native American?

Many different cultural designs and ideas shape different types of art. Was Picasso incorrect for being inspired by African Masks? 

Where is the line drawn? I completely understand that I have an amount of privilege because I am white and it is wrong to steal someone else’s culture. But is it okay to appreciate and share in other cultures as long as you have an understanding? Or am I just a terrible, horrible hipster that should only stick to my white, Western-European Culture, even though some of it feels completely foreign to me? 

I think as long as you understand the reasons behind the objects and appreciate what they can do and what they stand for then yes you’re entitled to it. Such as a dream catcher is made to catch bad dreams and let the good ones in. After living in a Navajo reservation I realized it’s not just good ones but wise ones that pass through the dream catcher. Also this object is specific to the person not the room it encompasses. So as long as you know these things then I seen no reason to not have them as long as they are appreciated and honored.