Student 28

Self-Expression

During the past semester we have discussed many various theories of the self. Among those theories are the psychological theories of Freud and Jung and the literary view of Rilke. Freud's theory states that there are three sides to every person. These sides are the ID, ego, and superego. Jung says that there are two attitudes of the personality, the introversion and extroversion. In Rilkes' writings he shows the characteristics of both Freud and Jung very well; an example of this can be found in his piece entitled "Faces". Freud's theory shows a constant internal battle between the ID, ego, and superego. It shows that his ID (animal-like instinct) is trying hard to break through and be seen, but it is in constant battle with the superego (morals). Jung's theory in "Faces" shows that the woman is introverted but she tries very hard to change this. Her attempt to become extroverted and more outgoing fails her. These two theories are closely related and Rilke shows them both very well in his writing.

Asian views of the self uses life in its various forms to show their true feeling. Nature is another method that Asians use to show the self. A good example of the use of nature is seen in the ancient Indus River Valley, which shows a peace-loving society in which purity and cleanliness were valued greatly. Hinduism is used to show Asian views of the self as well. Hinduism is one of the world's most tolerant religions. The Asian culture still remains the oldest continuous culture still in existence. I think a very good example of Asian culture and Hinduism is stated in the Katha Upanishad. It compares the soul to a caterpillar by saying that even when a caterpillar comes to the end of a blade of grass it just keeps moving to the next one. Just as the soul reaches to another body, leaving a person's "unwisdom" behind in the self. This is also an example of how they used nature to reflect real life. Asian views are often very complex views of the human body and its quintessential expression of the Divine.

During the Romantic period art and music were used to show a notion of art as self-expression. As in all the previous theories and views I have talked about the Romantic period also used nature to express ones self. People during this time loved nature because it had more appeal to them and it represented a world untainted by humans. The mystery and power of evil as well as the unknown forces of the world fascinated romanticists. They also used Nature to show that they cherished freedom, passion, and pursuit of the unattainable. While creating artwork during this time many artists let their emotion replace their reason. Artworks were considered a projection of the person who created them.

I feel that my personal self-portrait shows, in some way, a little of each of these. On the inside of my box there is another good example of the theory of Jung. One corner of my box shows the tough times in my life and how I attempt to cover them up. This is an example of how I am introverted and how I am not outgoing during rough points in my life. This same concept is shown in Rilke's literature. My portrait shows very little of the Asian view of self-portrait. Although it can be seen somewhat when looking at the cross in the middle of my box which symbolizes a period of change of mind, body, and period of my life. Just as the example of the caterpillar, my soul is in a time that it is leaving all that "unwisdom" behind and moving on to a new time. My box represents some of the beliefs during the Romantic period as well. While creating this project I let my mind wander in an attempt to let my emotions come out. This is very much like what the Romanticists did while creating their own views of self. Romantics showed more emotion and feelings rather than reason and intellect. This is one thing that I tried to do while creating my box. I felt that this would allow a deeper side of me to show, one that I may not have even consciously been trying to reveal.

I used the outside of my box to show how others see me. When asking many of my friends and aquantences I found that many people see me as a simple easygoing type of person. With this in mind, I kept the outside very plain and with the two big sides being pastel colors, representing happiness. The top is blue, my favorite color, with a soft cloth texture. Both of which showing that I have a soft, generous side that often comes out. One side of my box and half of another side are black, showing that I am very down to earth and I reason very well with others around me. The reason I colored only half of a side red is because it is very rare, but occasionally I do get angry.

The inside of my box shows my true innermost feelings. The sides are blue showing that I have a soft side that likes to comfort others during hard times. The spirals on the side go all the way around showing the constant change in my life. There are four squares, in the corners, on the bottom that each represent something different. The carpet also shows my soft side and is very smooth for the times when everything is going well. The cotton is very soft and smooth also showing a very relaxing characteristic. The small pebbles in one corner represent the stressful and rougher times. The last corner contains larger rocks that represent the hard times in my life when everything seems to be going bad. The mirror on top of the rocks shows that I often try to cover up those feelings and just reflect the world around me so no one will notice. There is also a red cross under the rocks that shows difficult times. The middle is a big cross that shows I am at a "crossroad" in my life. Going to college and getting a taste of the real world is very different from anything I have experienced in my life. The red diagonal lines represent me always being "on the go." It seems as if I am at a time in my life that I always have someplace to be or something that needs to be done. The entire bottom uses black to show me being down to earth.

This project was very fun and interesting. These projects allow your mind to flow freely and they let you show your true feelings. They allow emotions or feelings to come out that you may not have even consciously have meant to be let out. This was a project that I enjoyed very much and I hope it will give others a chance to get to know my true feelings as well.