Acting Emo
Show emotion. Emo is short for emotional or emotive hardcore. “Being emo” involves acting according to your emotions and being a part of the whole subculture or lifestyle. In order to act emo, you don’t necessarily have to be moody or sad, but just be more thoughtful, quiet, and expressive through art and style rather than words. Despite the stereotypes that you may have heard or read, emo does not mean inflicting self-harm or being depressed. These are serious medical conditions that need to be addressed and treated and do not make you more authentically emo.
Listen to emo music. Emo, which originally stood for 'emotive hardcore', originated in the Washington D.C. area in the mid-80s. In the 90s, it became redefined into indie rock, also known as Midwest emo and in the 2000s, a fusion of emo and pop punk rose to mainstream popularity spearheaded by the bands The Promise Ring, The Get Up Kids and Jimmy Eat World. Don't forget there are Christian emo bands too! Try listening to bands like Further Seems Forever, Anberlin, and Mineral, who are Christian influenced. For further interest, the different bands for each category are as listed: Emotive hardcore (emocore) Rites of Spring Embrace Gray Matter Dag Nasty Jawbreaker Hot Water Music Midwest/indie rock post-emo Sunny Day Real Estate Christie Front Drive Braid Cap'n Jazz Jets To Brazil Emo pop punk My Chemical Romance Paramore Fall Out Boy Panic! at the Disco
Learn an instrument or another art form. Guitar, bass, and drums are great choices, and could allow you to join or create an emo band yourself. If you have a youth group that worships to Christian Rock, try to get into the band. You can also get into creating art or starting a journal to write poems, stories, or just thoughts.
Be yourself. The emo lifestyle is all about expressing your emotions, and you can’t do that if you’re not being true to yourself. Own your identity as both Christian and emo. If someone asks you about your religion, feel free talk to them about Jesus. The Bible says, “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (I Peter 3:15). If someone asks you about your emo identity or emo music, tell them about the bands or other things you’re into. Many people just don’t understand and want to know more. Make sure to dismiss all stereotypes, and talk about where emo originated, or what bands are actually emo opposed to what the mainstream thinks is emo. If someone asks you about being Christian and being emo at the same time, let them know that you can be both! As long as you are putting Jesus first and living by His word, you can choose whatever styles and music make you happy.
Looking Emo
Get the clothes. The emo style of clothing typically includes wearing band t-shirts or ironic t-shirts, sweaters and hoodies, skate shoes like Vans or Converse, and accessories like piercings and a messenger bag. Black eyeliner is also popular on guys and girls. If you can’t or don’t want to spend a lot of money, you can find a lot of simple emo clothes and even band shirts at thrift stores. Emo, since it came from punk, was originally a D.I.Y. subculture. Don't be afraid to sew patches or place pins on your bag or jeans, of your favourite emo bands. A Christian cross also looks great with this style too. Don't forget your relationship with your Lord! You could even sew a cross beside your patches and pins.
Get the hairstyle. Grow out bangs (the hair around your face) and then part your hair far to one side, so that the bangs fall partly or fully over one eye. You can use gel or mousse to style the bangs or slightly spike the rest of your hair. You can also buy hair dye in a dark color to add to the look.
Know the difference between emo, scene, and goth. Many people do not understand the difference, so here are some basic facts about each to help. Scene is a youth subculture which originated out of the U.K in the 2000s from members of the chav subculture experimenting with alternative fashions. It's categorised by its unusually brightly coloured garments; choppy, dyed and layered hairstyles; seemingly 'random' personalities and love of social media. The Goth subculture grew out of the British post-punk scene in the late 70s/early 80s with bands such as Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Cure. Its birthplace is said to be, the now closed, infamous club named the 'Batcave', popular with the musicians at the time, and the song that coined the genre 'Bela Lugosi's Dead' by Bauhaus. Goth fashion comes from the goth musicians and includes Egyptian styled makeup, deathhawks and black clothing, with an air of Victorian to it. Emo is a sub-genre of hardcore punk which stands for 'emotive hardcore'. It grew out of the Washington D.C scene in the mid 80s with bands such as Rites of Spring and Embrace. Guy Picciotto, the lead singer for Rites of Spring, started the band because he wanted to focus the point of punk back onto the individual as the scene had become far too violent. If someone confuses you for scene or goth, don’t get upset or defensive, just explain why you identify as emo. It’s good to know the difference between these three styles, but it’s not worth an argument.
Being a Good Christian
Believe in God and Jesus Christ. Being a “good Christian” is not so much about performing any specific actions as it is simply believing in God as a higher power and growing in love for Our Lord Jesus Christ, allowing Him to transform your life.The following steps are all good activities for Christians, but the one thing that makes a true Christian is simply loving and trusting in God. Talk to a pastor, your parents, or other Christians if you have any questions about your belief in God.
Attend church. Find a church you really like—maybe it’s one that your parents, relatives, teachers, or friends go to—and attend services regularly. Church is a place where you can worship God, but also, connect with other Christians to help grow your faith and better understand Jesus’ message through sermons and Bible readings. Find out when your church holds other events and activities in addition to weekly services, such as Sunday School, charity events, or other ways to get involved with fellow Christians and the community.
Pray. Talk to God daily to thank Him for his guidance, ask questions, confess sins, and pray for others to follow Jesus Christ in order to lead better and more fulfilling lives. Start by picking a time and location to pray every day. Whether you kneel, stand, or walk, there is not one way to pray, so find what is best for you.
Read the Bible. Start reading on your own or join a Bible study group. Take notes on what you find interesting, and write down questions about what confuses you. Talk to someone at your church or another Christian you trust to deepen your understanding of the scripture. Try reading just one passage every day and seek to understand it fully by asking all the questions you need to.
Keep Christ first. Remember that even if you adopt another lifestyle like emo, as a Christian you worship God first and foremost. Being emo isn't the greatest commandment; loving the Lord is. The Bible says, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3)
Address negativity at church. If other people at your church or in your Christian community approach you with negative judgment or untrue stereotypes about the emo way you act or dress, kindly talk to them about how being emo is just a way of expressing your personality and doesn’t interfere with worshipping God. The Bible says, “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’” (I Samuel 16:7) Use this and other Bible verses to help you explain self-expression and why your identity as emo doesn’t interfere with your identity as a Christian. You can even introduce others in your church to Christian emo bands to help them see the crossover between these two identities and share what you like.
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