I define bohemian as outside the cultural norm, and the question is, what is the cultural model? Bohemian can be anything that combines unrelated things, a bed with ornate patterns in a minimal interior, a white tree branch on the wall with marble spheres hanging from them. Anything is possible with an imaginary bohemian house or interior. There is no limit to any possibility; living in a tower surrounded by a pool of water, surrounded by a dense forest, or living in a treehouse that grows on top of a high building. The bohemian mind imparts in my feelings a way to live in a created imaginary world in a world of reality. It’s a way of keeping true to my path that doesn’t include much conventional thinking; it’s a way to touch and experiment with living lifestyles and practices that are part of the spiritual imagination, nothing to do with religious traditions. It’s instead a vast world that opens up without cultural limitations or spiritual or intellectual barriers. Barriers are imposed by other people’s thoughts and not the true ones; true meaning is the concepts I follow that fit my being and the way I see life. For me, the method is never to be influenced by people in authority of popular culture or fashion. It’s not to disregard traditions but to have those traditions evolve into new forms or to take parts of practice and to create innovations, a kind of combination of thinking and ways. I try to reach out to create something different, and I’m beginning to succeed.

Thinking about the bohemian is only in thought, not on the surface; I don’t dress in a way that brings attention to me, although I may do; I don’t think or believe this. I follow no trends; I have the trends I make up. Unless some new fashion intrigues me, I don’t mind it. I try to believe what I know; I’m suspicious of what I read and hear in the media. There is a sense of being wary of what the authorities say, even famous people, university professors, or scientists. Whatever I read from a non-fiction book, I analyze it and choose if I should believe what I read.

The way of creation and the bohemian is not to be too influenced by bohemians and other people because specific thoughts in the land of bohemia can be trendy. My bohemian comes from nature, manmade things, and what is inside of my imagination. In my definition, the bohemian is not about groups; it’s about seeing the world and seeing it, not becoming a slave to other people’s thoughts and opinions, whether these are from books or direct conversations. Being too much a part of a group can be detrimental to my independence and creativity; there is too much influence and individuals telling me what to do. A friend once said that once you are part of a group, your enemies become enemies.

Traditions and groups are good things, but they are only tools to deal with life; they can be an anchor point so that I can explore many directions to experience and know what fits my life. Everyone understands the bohemian concept in their way; even if they don’t adhere to such feelings or thoughts, I’m not sure if there is an agreed-upon definition.

Bohemian is not about absolute freedom; it’s about who we are, our path in life, to be ourselves despite societal trends.

Imagine thinking as a broad ocean, accepting change at a 360° angle; everything is embraced, all things studied and understood, a challenging path or thing to cultivate in life, something that shouldn’t be theorized about but put into practice. Think of society or an individual in flux that never ends. It’s easy to stay with something safe, as everything is changing, and keeping my mind broad, taking an interest in everything.

In my thoughts, a bohemian looks into the future, not the past, unlike the hippies of the 1960s. In many ways, they looked back towards the past, some believing that medieval village life would benefit everyone, not realizing that people suffered many hardships. My feeling is living with social change, technological and scientific innovations, and the harmony of the natural world. Other emotions are guided to an artistic bohemian, where there is thinking beyond the innovative.

Think about going beyond the most innovative thoughts, always beyond what is imagined, to reach beyond the frontiers of thought, beyond the most creative art, architecture, science, and everything else.

In my definition, this is what the bohemian has come to represent.

Robert J. Matsunaga