Art as Transformation
If we do not own our shadow, it is left to own us. And it will rule and wreak havoc and cause psychological distress and physical disease ... whilst we affirm and curse the seeming futility of our path. Quintessential to increased well-being and health are self-knowledge and self-acceptance. We must learn to understand and to embrace our shadow.
Creative expression can help us to do just that. In playful, creative engagement ... through movement, embodiment, writing, visual art ... we shine light into the unconscious depths of our being. And as we gain a deeper insight into who we are and how we operate in this world, we learn to become more responsible for ourselves.
In truth, our shadow is our gatekeeper to the Self. The path towards harmonious wholeness and the realisation of our innate potential leads through the dark dungeons of the shadow. And only through a process of illumination and maturation can we once more become whole human beings, not by endeavouring to return to the romantic wholeness of infancy, but by initiating an alchemical engagement with the unconscious which may eventually lead to a full realisation of the Self.
