“The term ‘Bohemian’ has come to be very commonly accepted in our day as the description of a certain kind of literary gipsey, no matter in what language he speaks or what city he inhabits . . . A Bohemian is simply an artist or littérateur who, consciously or unconsciously, secedes from conventionality in life and in art.” [“Westminster Review,” 1862]
The quote above is referenced by the Online Etymological Dictionary in an entry on the word “bohemian.”
One of Fashion’s current whims is to imitate bohemians in dress, taste, and general lifestyle. A horrifyingly large population of starving artists, writers and musicians has spontaneously generated itself in recent years, and a body can hardly go into public without coming across someone trying to be unconventional.
Creativity and eccentricities have inexplicably become fashionable, much to the dismay of authentically creative eccentrics. It would seem that in this era, the true test of a person’s creativity is the amount of time it takes for something to go out of fashion.
My prediction is that the true bohemians will be exposed when and only when it is unpopular to be counted as one of them.
The Tricksy Gypsy 