In a world that spends countless amounts of money, publication space and press time on the “perfect” portrayal of celebrities, I personally find a lot of satisfaction in discovering a beloved, well-known celebrity has completely lost their mind. This may sound harsh, but hear me out: there’s a lot we can learn from this if we open up our minds a bit.

Shia LaBeouf just spent the last 72 hours watching every single movie he’s ever been in. Renting out the Angelika Film Center in New York City, LaBeouf takes his “performance art” to the next level when he invited any and all who would be willing to join him in the viewing of his entire filmography. There has beed many media outlets live reporting the event, analyzing the message behind LaBeouf’s strange theater event, and it appears that more and more people are dying to know just what exactly is going on in the mind of this once adored child actor. However this is just one of many ridiculous, off-beat stunts performed by this fluffy bearded being, and that is why he is currently my favorite person; Shia is truly a diamond in LaBeouf.

This man is completely fearless. From being nearly naked while dancing around a cage in Sia’s “Elastic Heart” music video, to publishing his own motivational “Just Do It” video (for no apparent reason), and to going as far as making a red carpet appearance with a paper bag over his head, with “I’m not famous anymore” written on the front. LaBeouf has made funny, shocking, and sometimes questionable choices in recent years, and it's been feeding the curious minds of followers for quite some time.

Some call him hilarious, insane, or deranged, but I think there is something more to be said about this man. Maybe that “something” is just that he’s lost his mind and there’s no going back; however, I have good reason to believe that despite this possibility, there is more to LaBeouf than meets the crazy. Rather than dissecting why LaBeouf has done the things he’s done, I started to think about the driving force in all these things; his ability to express.

We are told at a young age that being able to express ourselves is important -- that we all need a form of releases or a creative outlet. However as time goes on and life gets more intense, that once known fact becomes less and less important to us. We stop reminding ourselves to take care of those still very present and very important parts of our minds, and our creativity begins to suffocate beneath life’s pressure towards career-based priorities. Its hard for most to even remember the last time we painted a picture, wrote a short story, learned a new song on an instrument, or created art in general.

So it can be true -- maybe Shia LaBeouf is insane. But I’d like to think this man is onto something. While he grew up surrounded by cameras, fans, and flashing lights, Shia LaBeouf is a human just like everyone else. He’s a man who puts a lot of time, energy, and effort towards his job -- just like we do or strive to do every day. The way I see it, LaBeouf refuses to let work, obligations, and basics of day-to-day functioning dominate who he is, and restrict what he is capable of producing. And yes, a lot of the time nothing LaBeouf does makes sense and maybe it isn’t exactly practical (and by the way LaBeouf, being a jerk to people and calling it “performance art” is not an excuse), but he is going out there, using (abusing?) his first amendment rights, and is breaking barriers in order to be expressive and lose his mind. And I think we can learn from that.

Art becomes less important and present in society because we allow it to be so. When trying to find your place in a world that is so career-driven and money focused, we feel we are forced to neglect the things we love to do. We forget to create the art that helps make life more colorful.

So when you hear of Shia LaBeouf’s next outrageous artistic stunt (because there will be more), use it as a reminder to take time for yourself and create your own work of art. Instead of going to a job you hate every day, maybe you should show up wearing a paper bag over your face that say’s “I don’t work here anymore”. Perhaps the next time a friend is feeling down, you’ll make a strangely aggressive and semi-uncomfortable motivational video in their honor. Or maybe you can doodle in your free time. No matter what you choose, I encourage you to go forth, create art, and may Shia be with you in mind, body, and spirit.