Chromophobia : Seeing the World Through Shades of Grey
A happy reality? Is it black and clear or black and white? According to Chromophobia by David Batchelor “White is clean, clear, healthy, moral, rational, masterful.” We all have different definitions of colors though white is often seen as spiritual color it commonly represents purity. This wording has either a positive or a negative connotation to it depending on experience within religious practices. Though it is only a color, a tint, or a blank slate. In art school, we do a color wheel and a gradient of black to white in paint. Learning to mix tints and shades, giving us a baseline for color and shades of grey. Everyone sees a spectrum of shades of grey, within themselves. Or seen by those who we share a larger community of reality.
In Cherokee Native Culture there is a parable called the One You Feed. Speaking on the wolf we are feeding within ourselves. The white wolf symbolizes goodness (joy/positivity/compassion/empathy). While, the Dark or Black Wolf symbolizes the negative aspects of the self and the things that compel the Seven Deadly Sins. For me, it showed up as rage at the world and the people within it. Positive emotions are a grey area in society these days. There is too much Dark wolf showing up within friendships and relationships and how we treat strangers on the day to day.
For me it relates to knitwear, where white symbolizes knitting up, or creating fabric. Is a basic representation of Jung’s work Ego and Archetype. For me, goodness and white, is a building up within the self or ego self-integration. The black highlights an unravelling of yarn, which can be the ability to change the self or ego. Ego is created through experience in early childhood or later in life when we find our true passion which creates a blend or a shade of grey to those who saw a lot of strife. When ego is created early in life, its either in survival mode or we create a large safety blanket that keeps other people out. So how does ego relate to the reality of a person? It can be seen by the community they create or join within their sense of self. Or the reality of living within the self.
To theorize building a true close-knit community, in which everyone is accepted, we need to understand inclusivity. Which is a grey area within society. We all have different powers that are unique to us. Many think it is just a disability, though we can find truth and power within it and turn it around. Our minds, bodies, and selves are more spiritual in nature. With inclusivity we can create a gradient of realities as humanity lives on a spectrum of knowledge, within the self and their own experiences. Personality splits when we lose pieces of ourselves, and trauma lives within the body. We have these pieces inside ourselves like egos created during different parts of our lives. Our past lives influence our realities as well. Through the skills and things, we use to manage reality. We learn to balance through who we desire to emulate or become for the goals we wish to achieve.
Going back to the One You Feed, which wolf are you feeding within the realms of your mind?
