The Shadow Self
We all have parts of ourselves that we consider ugly, shameful, or “bad.” We may not even acknowledge these aspects are a part of our personality, but we certainly notice them in others! The problem is, unless we can really acknowledge these “less than desirable” parts of ourselves, they are able to exert their controlling influence, hidden, in the background. The process of discovering and accepting these parts of ourselves can sometimes be very frightening and upsetting, but extremely empowering. The surprise is almost always, these parts of ourselves we thought we needed to work so hard to keep hidden are some of our greatest assets. Anger, for example, is considered a negative emotion because it can cause so much damage. But anger can fuel great causes, can give you the courage to stand up and say no more to an abusive person / situation, or join a cause to help others.
Expressive therapy is the perfect way to explore these shadow-assests, because art allows you to approach subjects that would normally be too uncomfortable to talk about. Art allows you to maintain what is called "therapeutic distance," where you can see something from a comfortable distance, but not get too caught up in it and emotional about it. In other words, Expressive therapy allows you to take a step back, and see what you are really working with here. In this case, art can help you see yourself for who you really are, all aspects of yourself, and appreciate and understand yourself in ways you never imagined before.
