THE TRUE SELF PROJECT
THE ART
Participants in the True Self Project created art, music, dance, and poetry. Some were artists, and many were not. Below are some of the artworks that were exhibited, along with their creators' explanations of their art.
EMILY
EMILY: Trauma, True Self, False Self
HIDDEN IN THE FAMILY TREE
Empty
Invisible, watchful
Aching, hiding, seeking
Erupting with trembling rage
Emily
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GONE WITH THE WIND...
WITH APOLOGIES TO MARGARET MITCHELL
Restless soul flounders
endeavoring to be seen
healing spirit soars
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OUT ON A LIMB
Proactive
Curious, autonomous
Anticipating, questioning, choosing
Pulsing with vibrant creativity
Em
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Using plaster-impregnated gauze, I molded these three masks over my face. Silk fibers that I had previously dyed were then needle-felted into canvas cloth. Family photos from my digital camera were modified into line drawings and stitched onto the needle-felted canvas fabric. The stitched canvas was then selectively cut and glued to the masks’ surfaces, and found-objects from nature were added to the masks. Finally, the masks were painted as needed.
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I chose the subject of “Family” for my masks because I am extremely curious about my family members’ idiosyncrasies and how those behaviors continue to influence my present life. This exploration of “family”–through the vehicle of therapy–is ongoing. My education will continue in a supportive, structured psychological setting.
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Note: The first mask (on the extreme left) is “Hidden in the Family Tree;” the middle mask is “Gone with the Wind... with Apologies to Margaret Mitchell.” The third mask from the left is “Out on a Limb.”
CAMELLA
TRUE SELF
Tree – essence of true self, strong yet flexible, changing
ever changing with the seasons, growing up from the pure white sand
from purity, from beauty, from oneness with the universe
That’s the bones of my existence, my true self
PAIN
Glass – a force field around my true self–protected by the glass all around
keeping the water out, the deluge from overwhelming
all around are tiny pieces, little shells, tiny fragments of everything
all my memories, all the trauma, the water and the pain
the trauma has beaten it all to tiny bits–all fragmented and mixed up
But here is that piece of me that strong tree that remains safe
FALSE SELF
Fragments – the churning debris–I am confused when in my false self
I question everything–muddy, messy, the pieces don’t fit together
and yet somehow I portray a beautiful scene to most
The Glass, the false self, has many facets, many reflections
Different people see different things
But i have a vision of the tree growing so tall and so strong
and the branches so many, branch out in so many ways
my love of learning, all my curiosity and questioning
drawing me in many directions
As The Tree Gets Fuller And Stronger
I HAVE A VISION
it will crash through the top of the globe, the pain will flood over me
but I will be so tall and so strong that it will be okay
My true self can actually break free
the pain will still be there, the water still all around
but the branches will reach higher than the pain
I won’t have to pretend anymore because what is true is beautiful
I won’t have to cover ugly parts of my false self
Because what I bring to relationship will be me,
The true, beautiful, strong me
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