Tag / emotions

by Janet

Melancholy

Emotion Art

Awhile back I worked on emotion images, and I made this tonight not planning on doing it for the collection, but I realized when I was finished that it looked melancholy to me… something that could describe what causes my sense of humor to spiral – trying to find that excitement that seems to be missing.

This is another combo/composite piece – or whatever you want to call it. I did the illustration of the girl’s face, and then brought it into Photoshop to add a crinkled paper background and a rose that I photographed many moons ago (IRL it is yellow). Then, as always, I defaulted to an oil paint effect to bring it all together.

I thought it was interesting to use black and white, which might explain why melancholy came to mind. The definition of melancholy that I liked was: a feeling of pensive sadness, typically with no obvious cause. I think that the absence of color depicts that feeling well.

It’s like life hasn’t changed, nothing bad or unusual has happened, but something that you just can’t put your finger on is missing.

Anyway, goodnight for now…
-Janet

by Janet

Moody

Sometimes I’m energetic, full of color and life, feeling crazy…

Other days I want to lay still, relax, read a book and be lazy.

I learned how to do these orbs in Photoshop via Leya (HERE) and I just can’t get over how beautiful her orbs are (Ha-ha that sounds funny). Anyway, I’ve seen several other bloggers doing the same, and all of the results are just stunning.

I don’t know if it’s just my current mood or what, but the orbs I tried with flowers weren’t doing it for me. So… I made one using an image of street art that I had. The second one (lazy) is basically the orb original, and I think it looks more soothing and laid back.

The first one (crazy) is the result of an effect in Smartphoto Editor. I love that it’s “almost” like stained glass, but it’s not. It looks like it would break if you dropped it. When looking at it I felt myself feeling lighter, which made me think of energy.

I mentioned before that when I set an agenda for myself, I tend to get rebellious. I’ve been wanting to write the next part of my short story, but I haven’t had it in me. I thought the orbs might be a good way to get me out of my writing rut. We’ll see tomorrow.

That’s about all. I hope you like my moody orbs. A big thank you to Leya for showing us how to make these!

Until later,

Peace & Love!

by Janet

Shadow Emotions

Like a shadow, I am and I am not.

Rumi

I thought I’d backtrack a bit since I used the term “negative emotions” in my last post. What I’m coming to understand is that emotions are not necessarily positive or negative; or black and white. Like so many other things in life, they are more neutral and gray.

Shadow emotions are the darker emotions that we experience, and when we ignore, avoid, or suppress these emotions we are disowning a part of ourselves—and filling a space inside of us with these ‘creatures’ that we have cast aside. Apparently they remain there, waiting to come out.

Embracing our shadow emotions, on the other hand, is a way that we can process our experiences without denial, leading to better self-awareness, healing, and change. I think of it the same way that I think of everything these days, since I came to believe… and that is that you have to bring difficult things out, into the light, where they can be seen and dealt with.

So, maybe this is my “cheater” way of lumping them together… the emotions that I experience now and then that I consider negative… like sadness, anger, fear, anxiety, shame, embarrassment, and jealousy.

I think jealousy is what my image depicts the most. I feel jealousy when I peruse Facebook. I enjoy my solitude (a great deal) and use it to help myself stay healthy, learn, and grow… but when I take a timeout and check social media to see what my friends or even acquaintances are up to… the first thing that I feel is a pang of jealousy. What they are up to always looks like so much more fun that what I’m up to myself!

But, when I embrace these emotions, and think about it rationally, I realize that my jealousy has to do with social comparison, which is not healthy. Comparing ourselves and our lives to others is never a good thing. And photographs never tell the whole story. I also believe that my feelings (or pangs as I prefer to call them) are trying to tell me something—that perhaps it’s time to get out a bit more and socialize. I’ll work on that.

In the meantime, all is well. I am here, with my shadow, and we are content.

One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.

Carl Jung