5 Things I Know About Fear of Authentic Expression

March 5, 2011

The deeply emotional fear-reactions many of us have to the idea (or the reality) of being witnessed while:

-Making our own marks (doodles, scribbles, symbols, designs, pictures)

-Moving our own bodies in an authentic way

-Sounding our own voices in an authentic way

-Telling the truth, and sharing our IDEAS

just keeps proving to me that

• 1. These elements of life are deeply and universally important
• 2. We get trained OUT of these natural expressions (often in traumatic ways that instill great fear)
• 3. This disconnection from our vitality and inner-compass leads to various forms and degrees of illness, unhappiness, ineffectiveness... and thereby to very expensive and damaging social problems.
• 4. Nurturing these cut-off parts of ourselves IS possible, healing (AND the responsible thing to do).
• 5. It's critical to then do our part to help redesign and overhaul the cultural/educational system - which includes parenting - to encourage (rather than curtail) these capacities/needs that define our humanity, hearts, and souls.

I'm doing my part to help with #4 in myself and others...

And it's all in the name of working on #5!

I hope that by the time I die, I helped make a difference in changing the intention of culture/education/parenting from the outdated model of producing obedient conformist workers (and/or family members) -TO-  nurturing children's development so that they can grow into their bright, creative, healthy, empathetic, cognizant, cooperative, responsible, realized, and happy selves --- thereby cultivating and role-modeling a more peaceful, fulfilling, and sane approach to life and problems on our planet. 

I dedicate this post to these, (some of) my favorite leaders in the field. All of you have, in various ways, helped save my life and inspire me as I commit to healing from my past, expressing myself, and helping redesign the future of education, parenting, art, and business. I can't thank you enough!

Alice Miller http://www.alice-miller.com/

Ani Difranco http://www.righteousbabe.com/

Deborah Koff-Chapin http://www.touchdrawing.com/

Ken Robinson http://www.sirkenrobinson.com/skr

Margaret Paul http://www.innerbonding.com/

Rythea Lee http://www.zanyangels.com/

Sabrina Ward Harrison http://www.sabrinawardharrison.com/ee/

Seth Godin http://www.sethgodin/sg

Love, Dana