Tags: culture | expats | lifestyles

Bohemian (see also Beatnik beet`nik) - one who thinks and expresses freely by rejecting conventions and mainstream standards and therefore thrives on creativity and appreciates art and beauty.

For any one who has lived in the Czech Republic long enough and asked "What Is A Bohemian?"

Well my friend, a Bohemian is one who doesn't let society slow him down. One that doesn't worry about minor things that most others fret about all the time. By eliminating such distractions, Bohemians can allow their minds to wander and go in the direction of their individual souls.

So, you see, this uninhibited "mental nakedness" is what causes the true creativity and expression to surface and makes one Bohemian appreciate the creative work of others.

Bohemians develop artistic philosophies. They see all sides of thought and discard nothing; be it people, methods, or perspectives because who knows, it could be the right one. Bohemians are enlightened but misunderstood people; free thought is some times seen as ignorance and their starving-artist lifestyle is seen as vagrancy.

"Everybody seems to think I'm lazy. I don't care, I think their crazy. Running everywhere at such a speed. Until they find, there's no need." -John Lennon

Creative people are in touch with the earth, nature, and simplicity. Bohemians are a part of history.

The original members of the Beat Generation like Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and some others, were poets in Columbia University and were in solidarity with the oppressed students in Communist Czechoslovakia.

They came from poor and troubled families, they were beaten-down by life. During a NY Times interview in 1948, Jack Kerouac used the word beat to describe himself and his friends. Their writings and even movies became popular during the 50s when their followers started to assemble. In 1958, the term Beatnik was coined to replace Bohemian and here we are.

So if you're not Czech, but you feel it, you're boheme.