Shadow Talk

The Dark Side of the Light Chasers by Debbie Ford is a book that helps the layman understand psychologist Carl Jung's shadow theory. 

Folks, let's get something straight.  I read to relax and enjoy a story.  Not to actually learn anything.  So having had this book laying around for a few years, I finally stuck my nose in it because I ran out of stuff to read in English.  Sad reason but true. 

I would've given it a chance sooner if I'd have known how good it was.  I'm not going to get all preachy here, but it's really made me look at my own judgments and relationships differently. 

Although I was completely lazy and failed to do any of the exercises at the ends of the chapters, (see second paragraph above) it was still beneficial and I would recommend it - especially if you have a few aggravating people in your lives that you just can't quite get over.

To sum it up, according to the shadow theory, everything that drives you nuts about other people is something that you haven't owned inside of yourself.  The other person's behavior is merely a shadow of your own unresolved emotions.  Heavy yet somehow freeing.  Awareness is step one peeps.  We wouldn't be all wound up about others if we had our own crap straight inside ourselves.

So Debbie's book inspired me for the letter "S" of my resolutionary alphabetica.  If I met her, I'd ask her to help me out with my ANQRY problem.  This photo on the left is the page "before" I went in with black marker jounaling and detailing everything.  This is a photograph of my own literal shadow sewn down strategically atop the Studio Mailbox stamp.  A reminder to stay aware!

Comments

[Linda]

Fabulous post with grand art. Thanks for the food for thought.

[Tally]

Very interesting!
Great form to translate it into your media and great art.

Fröhliche Ostern
Tally

[Jacqueline]

Luckily for Carl Jung that he does not live anymore and has to deal with the phenoneme of mixed media artists, or even worse: mail art artists. It would have taken years of intense study to figure us lot out!

And how is your ANQRY issue? :-)