For All the Small Town Unicorns

I have been thinking a lot about magic lately. About small-town magic. 

And when I think of that, I think of my own identity as a small-town unicorn. 

I know when we define unicorns, we typically use words like mythical to describe them. But to me, unicorns are very real. I’m surrounded by local women who I see as unicorns. Rare? Yes. Mythical? No way. 

And these women are magical. They’ve taken these ideas that are pure magic and put them into practice to create thriving businesses in their communities. I’ve seen it. I’ve lived it. And I’ve had the privilege to work alongside some of them and experience it. 

Pure magic. 

I embrace my identity as a unicorn. As someone who brings magic to my small town and as someone who believes that magical ideas are possible, I am proud to stand out. And that’s exactly how you identify the unicorns in rural settings, those women who are breaking stereotypes and rewriting what it means to have impact. 

There are three layers to being a unicorn in a small town: Standing out, acting, and thinking. 

First layer: Stand out

My Unicorn horn is without a doubt on display in my small-town. I’m ok with this. In fact, I’ve come to embrace it. I’m often overdressed at community events, I drive a fast car, and I’m known in my community for standing out. 

The best example of this I can think of is a woman I used to see in my community growing up. She was a very successful Mary Kay rep. She slayed it. Eventually she reached pink convertible status and I remember seeing her, driving around in this pink car, and thinking she’s a queen, I want to be like that. You see, unicorns become role models for the young women in their towns who watch them. Their embodiment of magic and possibility, make it easier for little girls to believe. If she can see it, she can be it right? And as a little girl I often wanted to be that. I wanted to dress up to be the unicorn woman that I saw around me. The woman that stood out because of how she looked and acted.  

Second layer: Act.  

Undying optimism is a believe that magical things can occur. I believe in the power of magic and magical connections. I believe in magical business ideas. And I act like. Anything is possible when you normalize your unicorn and embrace those parts of you. Being someone who’s different, you act in a way that appears to be magical. 

And sometimes that provokes some questions. In fact, one of the most common questions I get is “when do you sleep?” When I talk to other women about what I’m up to, and what my day looks like, I get excited. I talk theirs ears off about the magic I’m creating and the magic I’m contributing to, and I feel so strongly about the work and the impact it’s making. But instead of asking me about it, the first thing they ask is that question. 

But I’m able to keep up at the pace I’m going because I’m able to understand my role as a unicorn.  Not only do I see myself as a contributor of magical creations in my community but also, I genuinely can’t imagine acting in any other way. Being the unicorn for me is that I believe I am creating magic and I’m seeing it take place, but I also can’t imagine it being any other way. It’s who I am at the core level, constantly working towards the magic and figuring out how to make the most out of it.  It’s not only how I live my life, but it’s how I have to live my life because it’s who I am. You know, to quote Lady Gaga, I was born this way. Born to be the unicorn.

Third layer: Think.  

Thinking like a unicorns speaks really loudly to being a rural rebel woman, which I talk a lot about in my work. Thinking this way means that just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean we can’t’ create it or that we aren’t already it. This part is so powerful to me. 

I’ve never felt limited by being called a myth. 

I’ve never felt limited by the fact that some people thought my dreams were way too big. Like Fairytale size dreams. 

As I prance through life with a horn on my head, I actually think magic is possible. It’s possible to achieve your dreams and contribute to a state in your community, that might be a bit utopic, but that, in my mind, is achievable. 

I’m easily observed in my natural environment, the small town, for my physical features, my car, how I dress at community gatherings etc. Watching me in action tells the story that I go bravely into magic and try to inspire it in those around me, especially those women who are watching. I know some of them are unicorns too who maybe just need to be reminded to shine up their horn. But it’s because I think this way that I feel unstoppable. I believe the magic we’re trying to create is possible. So, this thinking alone takes the mythical part out of it. Because I’m here. And the other women I work with are here. Unicorns are real. I see it and live it every day. 

One of the underlying reasons I want to find other unicorns, especially I small towns, is about the loneliness of the unicorn status.  Anything I’ve ever heard about unicorns is that they travel alone or that they may or may not be real. And that can get lonely. And sometimes I feel this way. 

This isn’t about me patting myself on the back for being special, or being more special than other people, it’s just that the kind of special I am, the kind of unique I am, makes it feel that I’m often alone in the pursuit of magic, in my own life and my own community. 

So finding my unicorns and gathering the herd is so important to me for this reason. In a city environment, it’s often easier to find the other women that think like me. In small areas, because the population is significantly smaller, the women that I align with and meet are few and far between. 

So I want to gather the unicorns.  if there’s power in singular magic, imagine what we can do together. 

Imagine how much more secure we would all feel in our magical thinking. Imagine how much easier it would be to bust through the mythology that we don’t exist.  Imagine if we all gathered, the power in that much magic in one space and the possibilities and impact of women in small towns making a difference and leading he way. 

Blazing the trail is easier is you have others with you that share your magic. Small-town unicorns are big thinkers in a small place, and we will come together, form a herd if you will. 

Genuinely, if we all found each other, shit will go wild. In the best way. I actually believe that small towns are going to be the future economic powerhouses of our country and our continent. And I know, if we could figure out a way to herd these unicorns, we’ll get there way faster. 

In magic, 

Chela