Art

I’ve created these pieces because I was dividing myself up between what I used to survive trauma/ the world and who I am inside. I have had rare chances where I felt safe enough to be me in my life experiences. The saddest part about that is that most of society feels the same. So they do the same. Then they layer on top of that more coping mechanisms. Sometimes falling down the rabbit hole that is addiction to various things from spending, food all the way the the hard stuff like drugs and booze…. Or and yes those antidepressants…. Masking causes all that. Not only that it creates the self confirming engagements: I don’t share my full self and then never feel fully accepted. This only compounds the depression beings feel.

During the time of these mask making events I have dug about and discovered that masking is about more than hiding from our pains and self exposure, it’s also about blending in. A false sense of acceptance based on performance. The number of minority communities that use this to scrape by is unilateral. People mask to lessen their cultures, their sexual preferences, their gender, and even their brain type. Imagine being really intelligent and playing dumb because like all humans you long for connection: yes that’s masking, too.

All of these forms of masking lead to a lack of self acceptance. What starts out as a way to be included and meet basic needs like food and community, turns into a way to self harm and deny. Over time it pushes ones existence into oblivion and even the being may lose self awareness. Auto pilot if you will. One may relate with their performer self and totally avoid their real needs. This happens commonly in abusive relationships. As a female I can share that I can not count the times I’ve been told by other women to “just do it if they like it.” As if my needs and wants are invalid.

Yes it is a social standard to fake it till you make it in America at least. What that’s given us is climbing suicide rates, ableist communities, a growing poverty class, declining health for a nation, rampant racist regimes, sexist laws engaged: all the while, people are at home pretending that “it is what it is”.

Well it isn’t. We vastly outnumber those perpetrators who are enforcing these engagements. All we have to do is chose to not MASK anymore. And yes that’s a terrifying and hard thing to do. But it’s the only way things have a chance to change.

Removing the mask means not looking the other way when you see someone hurting. It means hurting with them because humans deserve humane environments. It means using that pain from hurting with them to change it WITH them. That means valuing their voices! People know what they need. All this assumed doubt is exhausting and counter intuitive.

Removing the mask is also about finding joy again. The reality is when we mask and pretend things are okay that really hurt us inside we are also keeping self from engaging in a way that allows us to find happiness and gratitude. It feels amazing to have the ability to help another, even if it’s a turtle crossing the road. So why not get high on community engagement today?