The mural "She Continues to Grow" I created for my featured artist exhibit last year was all about transformation. I was struggling to move from one part of my life to the next and was desperately missing the people connected to the part I was moving away from. My thinking was that I would be less of a person without them in my life. To put things in perspective, many of these people I'd only see once a year or would talk to them on the phone once every six months or so - but since I'd had great experiences with them at a time when I was discovering myself, I felt like I needed them to feel whole.
Then one day, it occurred to me to contemplate the qualities I most admired in each of these people. The easiest way for me to do this was visually, so I made up a chart with each person's name and started listing each quality or trait that I loved the most about each of them.
The realization came quickly - most likely because I've read Debbie Ford's book "Dark Side of The Light Chasers" (Quotes below from that book)
"The world is a mirror of our internal selves."
"There is a “light shadow,” a place where we have buried our power, our competence, and our authenticity."
"Once the shadow is embraced, it can be healed. When it is healed it becomes love."
"If you are inspired by someone’s courage, it is a reflection of the courage within you."
In that moment, I realized that every word I'd written on that list, I AM THAT. I am courageous and brilliant and beautiful and honorable and trusting and sexy and honest and generous and inspiring. For the longest time I couldn't see these things in me - I could only see them in other people.
"We each need to become our own hero. The only way to do this is to take back the parts of us that are plugged into someone else, the parts of us that we have given away."
While I'm sure I'll need to be reminded of this from time to time, I'm proud to say that I have a clearer understanding of the way I had disowned and been projecting my positive qualities on others.
This is why I added "I AM THAT" to "She is Light"
Stay tuned for more updates on the progress of this work. JUNE 7TH SAVE THE DATE! First Friday in June is when this exhibit will open. It will then be on display until July 3rd.
You can also view all my photos from this project on Flickr.
