When You’re Raised by Artists, Not Traditions: The Cost of a Progressive Upbringing by James Love

When You’re Raised by Artists, Not Traditions: The Cost of a Progressive Upbringing

by James Love

Not every culture raises children the same. If you were raised by artists, musicians, and entertainers instead of traditional elders, your identity and values may feel unstable. Here's how to unpack and heal that.

You Weren’t Raised With Tradition—You Were Raised by Entertainers

While other cultures were passing down rituals, language, and structure, your childhood looked different. You were raised by entertainers, musicians, and progressive thinkers—people who challenged norms, broke rules, and sometimes flirted with values that felt out of alignment with something deeper inside you.

Maybe you’ve even asked yourself: Was I raised with structure, or just stimulation?

This isn’t a judgment—it’s a reflection. Because when your foundation is built on performance, art, and rebellion, the result can be emotional instability masked as freedom.

Other Cultures Raised Children With Intent—You Were Raised to Improvise

In many cultures, elders pour into children with purpose. They pass on customs, faith, history, and a roadmap for how to live. But if your caregivers were more focused on chasing gigs, breaking taboos, or staying relevant, you may have grown up without grounding traditions.

Instead of guidance, you got creativity.
Instead of stability, you got inspiration.
Instead of values rooted in community, you got progressive ideals that sometimes felt like anything goes.

There’s beauty in that—but also confusion.

Progressive Doesn’t Always Mean Healthy

Being raised in a progressive household can sound empowering. But if progress means rejecting all structure, ignoring boundaries, or glamorizing rebellion, it can leave you feeling lost.

Especially when those progressive influences flirted with satanic imagery, dark art, or ideologies that glorify chaos. It may have seemed like just another form of self-expression—but you absorbed those messages as a child. And now you’re trying to make sense of what you believe, what you inherited, and what you actually want to stand for.

You May Be Carrying Identity Confusion and Cultural Disconnection

If you're reflecting on your past and wondering why you feel disconnected from your roots, you're not alone. Many people raised outside of traditional cultural values end up craving something more stable—something spiritual, something grounded, something that lasts longer than a trend.

You were likely taught that nothing is sacred, that everything is a performance, and that rules are meant to be broken. But deep down, part of you may be yearning for something real, honest, and ancestral.

It’s Okay to Reclaim What You Didn’t Get

The truth is: you can reclaim the grounding you never had. You can explore your heritage, seek out new traditions, and anchor yourself in values that feel like home. You’re not betraying your upbringing—you’re healing from it.

You’re allowed to say:
“I was raised by artists, but I want to live with intention.”
“I was taught to entertain, but now I want to be whole.”

This is your right. And this is your time.

Final Thoughts: You Deserve More Than a Performance-Based Life

You were raised to create, to push limits, to stand out. But now you’re learning how to stand still, how to root, how to build something solid. That’s growth.

You don't have to reject your artistic past. But you also don’t have to stay lost in it. You can honor where you came from—and choose something different.