Art as Shadow Work #001: Letting your characters do the healing for you

Do you recognize yourself in any (or maybe all) of your characters? This week I couldn't help but notice how I've been unconsciously channeling different versions of myself into my characters, which made me curious about how bigger fish are doing the same.

Take Adrian Molina, director of Elio. He was inspired by his own experience growing up queer to develop the script, until apparently Pixar came along like vampires and sucked a lot of the soul from it. Some of the most memorable Pixar films tell stories of trauma and healing, and many of those stories were brought together by a collective of people who love the craft and pulled from their own difficult moments in life.

Maybe that's one reason I've been so obsessed with KPop Demon Hunters lately; it was also a labor of love, but the writers, idols, and animators had the space, time, and freedom to tell the stories that mattered to them. Now it's a runaway hit!

The art of healing

Developing characters around stages of your life gives you endless material to work with, while potentially empowering you to adopt a more positive mindset long-term. All art is a form of shadow work; what you perceive as the "worst" parts of yourself can become your most compelling characters.