Trauma is a very common occurrence and is experienced in many shapes and forms. Every hurt individual sooner or later will ask these big questions:
- WHAT IS GOING ON HERE ?
- WHO AM I REALLY?
- WHAT IS THE PURPOSE AND MEANING OF ALL THIS?
- ARE THERE ANY ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS?
Since many generations most human beings get hurt or traumatised early in life and experience likely more hurt and additional trauma as they get older.
Most people are living nowadays sadly in a toxic society most of the time unbeknownst to them.
The individual human is alienated from nature and constantly brainwashed by the ever present media and the constant influence from the existing consumerist culture of unhappiness in the now digital age. People are being bombarded by toxic and harmful content of political manipulation and advertising. They are also exposed early in life to negativity in form of neglect, abuse, violence, stress, isolation, being locked up (in inside rooms with little interaction), alienation from nature, surrounded by concrete, steel and glass or other sterile environments. There are also other harmful atmospheres like noise, electromagnetic frequencies and traffic causing underlying stress. The majority of people also eat an unhealthy and unbalanced diet by choice, through ignorance, media brainwash or poverty.
To deal with the accumulation of such unnatural influences on body, mind and soul and the resulting, often unconscious suffering, some people follow an impulse or instinct to go into unspoilt nature, to surround themselves with the calming green of vegetation and the sound of birds and other animals and the elements of wind and water to get away from human city culture.
People also feel the urge to express themselves through practising a wide variety of arts to create meaning and beauty or just to be in their own world. They also might express and release anger, frustration and rage through art in a productive and non-harmful way.
Both, exposure to nature and expression through art, are a healing digestion process to find relief from the onslaught of negative impressions in an unnatural environment. As the modern, toxic human society is widely accepted and generally not being questioned it is perceived by the majority of people as normal and the right way of life, despite of its obvious and omnipresent negative symptoms. Creating art can serve as a pressure valve not to choke inside from the toxic levels of negativity.
Once the dilemma is recognised and understood, individual human beings have the choice to position themselves in a healthier way by changing their life style towards spending more time in nature and expressing themselves through art. It is the alchemistic transformation relieving the inner pain of a neglected and compromised being – mind, body and soul. The resulting piece of art can lie on a wide spectrum ranging from uplifting beauty to horrifying ugliness.
Producing art is the attempt to express the pain and to distance and distract oneself from a harmful and unpleasant environment. It is a reaching out to be seen and heard, to be recognised and witnessed. There is a longing to belong.
Art can create insights.
The process creating art, is often a way of realisations and healing.
The creating artist works with the inner process and suffering and creates through its expression a work of art of some sort: a painting, a poem, a piece of music, lyrics to a song, which is the result of the creative healing process.
The main value of this instincts the process of the healing journey itself, not necessarily the finished result.
However, these works of art can then be seen, heard, felt, experienced by others, or in other words, witnessed, which poses the ultimate completion of the healing process for the artist.
The creative artist wants his transformed suffering to be seen, heard, shared, and even maybe the result of his healing journey, his art, being liked and admired – and thus gain the approval for the value of his inner truth.
The problem is, that this form of external approval won’t last, and will have to be sought over and over again – unless, the artist can finally internalise this approval and come to rest within the own self.
On the other hand, the witness, the listener, the audience can experience an inner resonance with a painting, a poem, a piece of music, which in itself can have a stimulating and healing effect because one can find ones inner feelings already being expressed in a piece of art:
One is not alone, and even suffering and negative feelings and experiences can find their way into an often beautiful artistic expression.
A good example for the power of this artistic alchemy is the tragedy of painter Vincent Van Gogh, who transformed his inner pain, turmoil and despair into the inspirational beauty of his many paintings radiating tangible spiritual and natural energy. Art is inspirational and resonates with our fellow beings.
As example:
Vincent, song by Don McLean
Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and gray
Look out on a summer’s day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul
Shadows on the hills
Sketch the trees and the daffodils
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colors on the snowy, linen land
Now, I understand what you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they’ll listen now
Starry, starry night
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze
Swirling clouds in violet haze
Reflect in Vincent’s eyes of china blue
Colors changing hue
Morning fields of amber grain
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artist’s loving hand
Now, I understand, what you tried to say to me
How you suffered for your sanity
How you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they did not know how
Perhaps they’ll listen now
For they could not love you
But still your love was true
And when no hope was left inside
On that starry, starry night
You took your life as lovers often do
But I could have told you, Vincent
This world was never meant for one
As beautiful as you
Starry, starry night
Portraits hung in empty halls
Frameless heads on nameless walls
With eyes that watch the world and can’t forget
Like the strangers that you’ve met
The ragged men in ragged clothes
The silver thorn of bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow
Now, I think I know what you tried to say to me
How you suffered for your sanity
How you tried to set them free
They would not listen, they’re not listening still
Perhaps they never will
Another example:
Graffiti In The City (a Rap Song with Choir by Thomas Wiegandt)
Can you see me?
Can you see me?
Can you see me?
I see the writing on the wall
urban graffiti covers it all
I sometimes see my name passing by
I’m feeling lonely and I start to cry
I see the writing on the wall
urban graffiti covers it all
I wonder who will finally see my name
because to be seen is the name of the game
I know there is no point to blame
but I feel the rage inside just the same
I carry on spraying my lonely message
in a long tunnel, in a narrow passage
and I hope soon someone will see
someone who wants to connect with me
one day someone will see my graffiti
here in this grey and lonely city.
Can you see me?
Can you see me?
Can you see me?
I see the writing on the wall
urban graffiti covers it all
someone sprayed some paint and left their mark
on a factory wall or in the city park
in broad daylight or in the darkest dark
in Berlin, Bejing, Moskow and West Cork
would you notice me
among 10 million and one people
would I notice you
waving from the top of the steeple
would we notice one another
inside an empty cathedral
or out in the streets where people appear to be equal
maybe one day I will stand just there
holding up a sign saying: I am here
but maybe that would be really too crazy
too courageous and also too amazing
it would be the ultimately scary dare
no, no – not ready yet – not quite there
someone sprayed some paint and left their mark
on a factory wall or in the city park
for me to read in the urban desert heat
It’s time to get up from my comfy cosy seat
and walk on down a new and unknown street
I wonder can real people really meet
and weave a fragile and tender bond
from here to everywhere and beyond
maybe even to beyond beyond
According to Dr. Gabor Maté, anxiety, chronic illness, and substance abuse are all normal responses to a society that is driving us to disease. The internal discomfort of anger, sadness, fear, shame, or self-loathing may drive us to turn to old patterns of survival, yet it is important to remember that our traumatic responses and imprints are not who we are.
In reclaiming our authenticity, Gabor shares that trauma is a disconnect from ourselves and that we heal through human connection, openness, vulnerability and ultimately by reconnecting with our true self.
Healing Art
why would a happy person bother to make art ?
Answer:the artist is the sufferer
who must create art
to distract from pain
to focus on the healing power of beauty
no need for blame
just simply proclaim:
I am not not going insane anymore
I am stepping out, I exit through the door
here I am now, still hurt
but determined that I am going to be alright
if I follow the light
if I take no bribe
and subscribe to the positive vibe
and join the universal tribe
of loving awareness and compassion
it’s a long long session
TO BE CONTINUED …