Here’s another from the “favorite quote” exercise from this past weekend’s workshop with Jamila Davies and Latifah Shay, “The Power of the Written (and Visual!) Word”.
If talking doesn’t work do something else to capture your emotions – create art.
When I create, when I make art, it goes past my ability to express myself verbally. Art goes to a deeper place within me – one born of energy and love, another place of existence, another dimension of reality.I feel that this place is disputed by many as not being real. I am fiercely protective of this place, of this reality I call mine!
This place is real – my reality – and no one can take it from me. No one’s values and opinions and judgments and things they say are true can make this place not real, and transport me to other worlds within myself, worlds that are my truth.
I am fiercely protective of this place because of how I was raised like they were throwing dirt down a hole that was me. “There is nothing in there”, they would say. “You’re full of nothing.” “Nothing important is inside you.” “Nothing lives within.” What is this soul?” “You must be crazy crazy crazy.”
Pfiffle, poppycock, bullshit. Meanwhile I’m dying inside. Hogwash.
– Latifah Shay
