Day 18 - Who am I?

Quotes

"You are what you do, not what you say you'll do."

"Impossible is just an opinion." - Paulo Coelho

"You will be as happy as you decide to be."

"I will remember and recover. Not forgive and forget."

Intention

To create a page representing aspects of yourself that remain hidden from view but need to be expressed to get you moving towards your goals.

My process

I created a page with a generic female face and "dressed" it with what appeared to me to be an outlandish hat, made up of fabric tape, washi tape, scraps of netting from a shopping bag and a feather. To be honest, I baulked at the idea of the headgear, but encouraged myself to let it form organically. The image suggested to me that it's "crowning glory" was made up of unremarkable ephemera and waste materials, creatively recycled and re-arranged. Taking this further, I asked myself - could it be that there are non remarkable elements in my life and environment which need to be re-examined and repurposed to create a more appropriate container for the changes I want to bring about?

Journaling Prompt

   This post is about the aspects of ourselves we go to great lengths to avoid, ie the shadow. Exploring our shadow leads us to greater authenticity, creativity, awakening and releases energy. It involves introspection and understanding it leads to maturity. The shadow includes the parts of us that are prone to rage, envy, greed, selfishness, lust and other negative emotions that we regard as evil, unacceptable and inferior. It is the disowned self and because we repress it, is unconscious. 
   When we disown parts of ourselves, we deny them, but tend to see them in others. This is called projection. Our ego uses this mechanism to defend itself. Unfortunately, psychological projections distort reality, creating a thick boundary between how we view ourselves and how we behave. Unless we make a conscious effort to work on our shadow selves, we never become as mature as we might be. The other benefits of shadow work are improved relationships, clearer perception, enhanced energy and health, greater creativity and an integrated, balanced, mature personality.
   Shadow work is demanding and often requires professional help, however it is possible to make a start on one's own. Here are some ideas that could help.
   1. Learn to center yourself. This precludes the possibility of getting confused, judgemental and critical when you engage with your shadow. 
   2. Learn self-compassion techniques. These help you to develop self-acceptance and self-compassion. 
   3. Learn to be mindful. Cultivating mindfulness requires honesty and effort.  (Watch your emotional reactions without allowing them to overcome you)
   4. Try to be honest with yourself. Conduct an inner dialogue with the parts of you that behave or think in ways you do not want to acknowledge and ask them what their message is for you. You can do this through art, collage, dance, poetry or free-form written pages
   5. Record your progress in a journal
   This is a very superficial introduction to what shadow work entails. It is best undertaken with a trained professional. As a beginning, answer the following questions in your journal:
 1.      What in my current life needs to be re-examined, re-purposed and re-framed to support the changes I wish to make?

   2.      What needs to be discarded?

   3.      How comfortable am I with the new persona that is emerging as a result of change?

  Daily Wrap Up:

     After completing your artwork and journal entry, consider the following questions:

   - Has my work followed the suggested theme? 

- - Is a particular motif, story or message persistently showing through in my work? What does this suggest to me?

   - If not, is there a pattern, underlying suggestion, message or idea which it has raised. 

   - Is this pattern related to my previous journal entries?

   - Would I like to follow it further? If so, how can I do that in a way which empowers me?

   - How do I feel about the work I have done? Why?

- - Do I feel any resistance to the process? Why?

    In your journal, write up a few comments answering these questions, or else highlight the sections of your written work that seem to suggest a pattern or feature you would like to work on.