Letters for Creatives #30: Feel your feelings and transform how you feel
Plus: Rachel Whiteread sculpture and resin art
Welcome to Letters for Creatives. Thank you for being here, all the old and new readers. You can read theĀ archiveĀ here.
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Image:Ā Cris Trung on Unsplash
Interesting ideas
How shadow work changes your life (45 mins video/podcast)
(Listen to it as a podcast if you are busy but want to listen to something.)
Shadow work means that we do not suppress our feelings when they come up. I used to suppress all my feelings because I was not encouraged to express myself. As I started to let myself feel my feelings (especially negative emotions), I started to know what I want in life.
I used to have many negative emotions towards people or situations because they reminded me of past experiences that either made me feel sad, angry and so on. As I started to have more negative experiences, they made me become more insecure about myself.
The breaking point came a few years ago. I started to learn a lot about psychology and came across yoga for the first time. Writing poetry and stories also help as it encourages me to express myself more.
One of the ways I use to do shadow work is asking why. As I feel certain emotions and feel uncomfortable with them, I asked myself:
Why do I feel this way?
Does any of my past experiences affect how I feel about certain people/situation?
A lot of people use their emotions to make art, whether it is poetry, stories, paintings, films and so on. Robert Greene touched on this topic in an interview.
As I started to express myself more and not be too harsh on myself, I started to shed my shadow self more. There are still times that I feel sad. But I feel like a new person after the years of facing my fears and letting myself be authentic.
I also stumbled upon this ebook that touches on inherited family trauma. It helps to end the cycle and make society a better place.
Delightful art
Image: Rachel Whiteread - Untitled (Book Corridors), 1998
Image: Rachel Whiteread - Embarkment, 2005
Image: Rachel Whiteread - Untitled (One Hundred Spaces), 1995
I have been obsessed with Rachel Whitereadās artwork since the first time I saw it. I got very curious about the creative process behind the artwork. What material did she use? How did she achieve this kind of texture? What material did she use? A lot of questions pops into my head when I am in a gallery or exhibition.
Her artworks are greatly influenced by her mother as an artist and her father as a geography teacher and her upbringing. Her father influenced her to appreciate architecture, space and memory.
You can see how Whiteread transfers her passion to artworks that are related to the interior of a home or house. As you looked at her work, you would see life-size sculptures and cast from doors, household items to chairs and houses.
Featured poem
Victoria wrote a stunning piece inspired by my April promptĀ walking on a thread. You can readĀ Victoriaās workĀ if you like her poem.
beware the wine leopard
who snacks with her paws at your glass
and tipples past with a glare
so sleek, the wine leopard
so dark - a pattern to a panther
enamoured with the grapeling
eyes like the press, the prey
big girl teeth, like theatre critics
the wine leopard isnāt tame
whiskers walking on a thread
sat on the exact middle of the carpet
staring
stretched long along the long evening
of the sofa
leaving cat hairs all overbit annoying actually
ā Victoria Punch
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Until next time,
Celeste