Those Dastardly Shadows

Photo by Emilio Jimenez

Recently I have taken on something new with my posts that I share on Instagram and Facebook. I have attempted to illustrate lyrics from songs I love. I tend to post a series of three things that are connected either visually or by subject matter in the quotes so this new attempt could fit right in to what I do. Mind you, I do this for no other reason than because I enjoy it. I enjoy this form of self expression.

My most recent shares illustrated a song I love from Them Crooked Vultures. And yes, my boyfriend, Dave Grohl, was part of that project. lol But nevermind  that. It is a brilliant album that really hits the spot right now. The first song on the album called "No One Loves Me & Neither Do I" is wonderful on a melodic and riff level and the lyrics make me giggle every time. I especially like the lines "You can keep your soul, I don't wanna soul mate" These words kept repeating in my head and images started to emerge of the woman who would say those words and I just knew I had to put illustration to lyric. The images I selected were women portrayed in a dominatrix role.

I knew while I was selecting the photos that they could be pushing the envelope a bit for my Facebook audience. The audience on Instagram is highly dependent on what tags you choose to use for a photo. I waffled on whether or not I would include my Facebook friends in these shares and in the final moments I laughed mischievously and said "fuck it" and pressed the little Facebook icon and pressed "share".

My Facebook friends are made up of real life friends, family members, former employers, mommy friends, a few young budding minds and a whole lot of spiritual people. Collectively they are all over the board as far as their openness to appreciating these images is concerned. I predicted I would lose a friend or two and I was right. I figure the cream will rise to the top and stick around.

Photo by Koray Parlak

It is because I hesitated and was concerned about what people might think that I ultimately chose to share the images with both social media audiences. I know many might assume I have come to that point where those thoughts of other people's opinions never creep in to influence my choices, but even the most seasoned practitioners of "not giving a fuck" are not immune to having those thoughts pop up when we are at the border of a comfort zone and faced with a choice of crossing the border or staying comfortable.

I had another motive as well for sharing this series. I had just shared a series of three talking about passion, love and sex. The images of couples were soft, pretty and poignant. I wanted to give a taste of the shadow side to this theme for balance and contrast. Shadows are an important part of life and our shadow selves should be embraced and given love rather than rejected. And I am not saying go out and act on criminal impulses. If your shadow side is harming another, then it needs to be put in check and you need to come to a place of understanding about where the impulses stem from so that you can heal what needs to be healed for you. But for most people, their shadows selves is really relatively benign and more about what people will think of them if people knew it existed.

I am neither only light or only dark. I am both equally. There is a darker side to my light and I love it and embrace it. I am a multifaceted being and I have many interests. Why should I limit myself based on what I think people might think of me? I shouldn't and neither should you.

Love your shadows.

Live out in the open.

Be you unedited.