How to Be a Unicorn: Embrace Your Inner Magic
- , by Jessica Miller
- 10 min reading time
What Does "Being a Unicorn" Even Mean?
You've seen the phrase everywhere. On coffee mugs. On t-shirts. In Instagram bios. "Be a unicorn in a field of horses." But what does that actually look like in practice? And why has the unicorn become such a powerful symbol for being unapologetically yourself?
It's not about wearing a horn (though we're not going to stop you). Being a unicorn is about standing out on purpose. It's about being the person in the room who doesn't dim their personality to make other people comfortable. Being rare. Being bold. And being completely okay with the fact that not everyone is going to get it.
We're going to break down what channeling unicorn energy actually looks like in everyday life. Because this isn't just a cute saying. There's real philosophy behind it.
"Be a Unicorn in a Field of Horses"
This phrase works because it captures something true about social pressure. Most of the time, the world wants you to be a horse. Functional. Predictable. Fitting neatly into the expected pattern. Horses are great, honestly. Useful, reliable, well-liked. Nobody has a problem with horses.
But unicorns? Unicorns are disruptive. They don't fit the template. They have this ridiculous, impractical horn sticking out of their forehead, and instead of being embarrassed about it, they lead with it. That horn isn't a flaw. It's literally the thing that makes them legendary.
Think about the people you admire most. Chances are they're unicorns. They're the ones who took the thing that made them different and turned it into the thing that made them memorable. They didn't blend in. They couldn't blend in, and they stopped trying.
That's the energy. Not trying to be different for the sake of it. Just being who you are and refusing to apologize for the parts that stick out.
Embrace Color and Sparkle in Your Wardrobe
Start with the most literal interpretation. Unicorns are not beige. They're not muted. They're not "keeping it professional." And while you don't need to show up to work in a rainbow tutu (unless you want to), there's something to be said for letting your outside match your inside.
Treat yourself
This doesn't mean you need to overhaul your entire wardrobe overnight. It might mean adding one piece that makes you smile when you put it on. A pair of earrings that catch the light. A hoodie with a design that starts conversations. Socks with unicorns on them under your business suit. Small acts of visual rebellion.
The point isn't to dress "weird." The point is to dress like you, without filtering yourself through what you think other people expect. Some people's authentic style is bold and colorful. Some people's authentic style is minimal with one statement piece. Both are valid. The unicorn move is wearing what makes you feel like you, not what makes everyone else feel comfortable.
If you're looking for some inspiration on that front, our unicorn hoodie collection has pieces that range from subtle to "yes, I am absolutely wearing a unicorn and I have zero regrets." There's a whole spectrum.
Don't Dim Your Personality for Others
This is the hard one. And it's where the unicorn metaphor really earns its weight.
Most people spend a surprising amount of energy making themselves smaller. Laughing quieter. Toning down their enthusiasm. Not mentioning the thing they're obsessed with because it's "too much." Pretending to be less excited, less passionate, less them because someone once made them feel like it was too intense.
Unicorns in mythology were famously untameable. You literally could not force one to behave the way you wanted it to. And that's not presented as a flaw in the stories. It's presented as their defining trait. Their wildness was sacred. It's what made them magical.
So the next time you catch yourself about to say "sorry, I know I'm being a lot," stop. You're not being a lot. You're being a unicorn. There's a difference.
Find Your Unique "Horn"
Every unicorn has a horn. It's the thing that makes them unmistakably what they are. Without it, they're just a very nice horse. With it, they're legendary.
Your "horn" is the thing about you that's different. The skill nobody else in your group has. The perspective that comes from your specific combination of experiences. Maybe it's a weird hobby. Maybe it's an unconventional career path. The way you think about problems that makes people tilt their heads and then say "wait, that's actually brilliant."
A lot of people spend their lives trying to sand down their horn so it doesn't stick out. They make themselves more "normal," more "relatable," more like everyone else. And it works. Nobody notices them. Nobody is bothered by them. Nobody remembers them either.
Finding your horn means identifying the thing that makes you distinctive and leaning into it instead of away from it. Not in a performative way. In a genuine, "this is who I am and I'm going to develop this instead of hiding it" way.
Surround Yourself with Magic
Your environment shapes your mindset more than most people realize. If you're surrounded by bland, impersonal spaces, it's harder to feel like the magical creature you are. This isn't about materialism. It's about intentionally creating a space that reflects who you are and how you want to feel.
That might mean fairy lights strung across your ceiling. Or a bookshelf organized by color. Maybe a desk covered in crystals and figurines. Or just one single piece of art that makes you feel something every time you look at it. The form doesn't matter. What matters is that your space says something about you rather than nothing.
The same goes for your mental environment. The content you consume. The people you spend time with. Even the conversations you keep coming back to. Unicorns were solitary creatures in mythology for a reason. They were selective about their environment and who they allowed near them. That's not antisocial. That's self-preservation.
Curate your world the way a unicorn would. Keep the magic. Filter out the noise.
If your living space could use a touch of that energy, our unicorn decoration collection has everything from subtle accents to full-on magical bedroom transformations. And our unicorn jewelry collection works for the personal touch you carry with you.
Take a little magic home
Be Kind but Fierce
This is the part of the unicorn myth that people forget, and it might be the most important part.
Unicorns in original mythology were simultaneously gentle and deadly. They would peacefully approach someone who was pure of heart. They would also fight elephants. Both things were true about the same creature, which is kind of remarkable when you sit with it. Kindness and strength weren't contradictions. They were complementary.
Being a unicorn means being genuinely kind to people. Generous, warm, the person who remembers your name. But it also means having boundaries that you enforce without hesitation. It means being the person who stands up when something isn't right, even when it's easier to stay quiet. It means being soft enough to connect with people and strong enough to protect yourself and others.
The world loves to present kindness and fierceness as opposites. Pick one. Be sweet or be tough. But unicorns prove you can be both. In fact, the combination is what makes you truly powerful.
Protect Your Energy
Remember how unicorns in medieval stories could only be approached by the truly innocent? That's not just a plot device. It's a lifestyle philosophy.
Not everyone deserves access to you. Not every invitation needs to be accepted. Not every argument needs your participation, and honestly, most opinions about you don't need a response either. Unicorns were choosy about who they trusted for good reason. Their trust was valuable, and they knew it.
Protecting your energy means recognizing that your time, attention, and emotional bandwidth are finite resources. Spending them on people and situations that drain you isn't generous. It's wasteful. A unicorn in a field of horses doesn't try to become a horse to make the horses comfortable. It stays a unicorn and waits for the people who appreciate that.
The Unicorn as an Empowerment Symbol
There's a reason "unicorn" has become one of the highest compliments you can give someone. In business, a unicorn is a startup valued over a billion dollars. In everyday conversation, calling someone a unicorn means they're rare, exceptional, and nearly impossible to find. It's always positive. Always aspirational.
And unlike a lot of empowerment symbols, the unicorn works across ages and contexts. A five-year-old wearing a unicorn costume and a CEO being called "a unicorn hire" are drawing from the same well. The core meaning stays consistent: you are one of a kind, and that's your superpower.
The unicorn has been a symbol for over 4,000 years, and it's never been more popular than it is right now. If you want to explore the deeper history of what unicorns represent, our piece on unicorn meaning and symbolism goes way back. And for the spiritual side, our guide to unicorn symbolism across cultures covers how different traditions have interpreted the unicorn.
For those who identify with the kawaii aesthetic specifically, our article on kawaii unicorn culture digs into how the Japanese cute movement and the unicorn merged into something genuinely special.
So go be a unicorn. Not because some article on the internet told you to. But because you already are one. You've just been pretending to be a horse.
