The Art of Aliveness by Flora Bowley

Author:Flora Bowley
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781950253111
Publisher: Hierophant Publishing

Honoring the Darkness

It hasn't always been an easy or linear path as I've learned to unwind my habit of avoiding difficult emotions. One thing that's helped me become more honest and expressive with my emotions, though, is honoring the value in my discontent. Hidden beneath the ill-fitting jobs, outgrown relationships, achy hearts, and neglected self-care lives a part of me that knows what I need to do, what sets me free and makes me feel most alive. Paradoxically, this part of me sometimes communicates those needs through rumblings of dissatisfaction, longing, and sadness.

These emotions can point to something missing in my life or some part of me being out of alignment.

Sometimes they show up as heaviness, sickness, or unexplainable lower back pain. Other times, my mind races around the same thoughts, never coming to a place of peace or resolve. The dull ache of apathy serves as another sign that something is just . . . off. In the moments when discontent, sadness, grief, or anything in between wraps around me, I've learned to pay attention. There's something bigger begging to be seen, felt, and acknowledged.

For sensitive artists, strong emotions can feel especially overwhelming. But these same artists can channel the depths of their emotions straight into their creations. (And isn't this what makes the most honest and moving art truly come alive?) Countless songs, dances, poems, and cinematic moments come straight from sadness, longing, elation, or triumph. These works offer illuminating examples of how to harness the power of human emotion and use it to grow something beautiful and perhaps even useful to others. The more honest it is, the more easily it will connect with the human heart.

Art serves as a bridge in this way between darkness and light.

While artmaking, movement, and moving my emotional body all make me feel more alive, I still have to be careful to avoid certain things that rob me of my vitality. For example, I might find myself reaching for my phone to get a hit of dopamine when I'm feeling discontent. Scrolling, responding, or checking on a few things can conveniently distract me from my pain, but this kind of avoidance usually just makes me feel worse in the end.

The same is true for the array of substances we tend to reach for when we're feeling low. Whether it's food, alcohol, pills, drugs, sugar, or shopping, the impulse to numb often stems from the same place—a feeling of discomfort with what is. However, when we numb out the hard stuff, we numb out everything. We might not feel the pain anymore, but our ability to feel joy, compassion, love, and connection also becomes elusive.

While our habits of avoidance and addiction can run deep (and certainly require professional support at times), our very ability to notice them is a huge step toward freeing ourselves from their grip. The curiosity I practice in my painting process can serve me in life as well. It helps to take even tiny steps in the direction of authentic observations or questions.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.