Trauma offers us opportunities to access the shadows and explore the inner darkness of our ‘shadow self’. Our ‘shadow’ is nothing more than the part of us that is unconscious, filled with the qualities of ourselves we deem unacceptable, disowned, repressed, avoidable, and rejected. Engaging in shadow work is one of the most authentic paths to enlightenment. It forces us to take responsibility for all we have projected onto others.
In recent months I have been meeting myself with loving awareness, locating my broken parts in need of attention and healing. All negative emotions must be met with care and understanding because they are actually messengers of truth. Focusing on three major components, awareness, forgiveness, and integration, I have been using art as a means of processing these negative emotions and heightening my critical awareness.
– Senghor Reid, May 2021
“Through shadow work, individuals bring forth elements of themselves that have been hidden, ultimately integrating all parts of the whole being. With Shadowboxing, Reid is portraying the process of lovingly tending to the aspects of himself that need attention, through exploration, acknowledgment, and acceptance.’’
Read “Introspection as a Path Toward Healing: Senghor Reid's Shadowboxing” by Juana Williams
