This week, I found myself wholly inspired after reading a quote by Ehime Ora. She speaks of readdressing subdued pain by giving it a place to live – separate from your body. I think I was most moved by Ora’s words as she managed to articulate something I have been working on recently – having tough, unsettling revelations and conversation with someone very close to me. And this wasn’t the first time I’d done this, but the first time with this someone who raised me.
I risked the calm of ignorance to really delve deep into past pain and rip it up from the root. And though I’m no gardener, I had some experience in maintaining the foliage of my pain – this was through the very blog you’re reading now. Little did I realise that I undermined just how significant writing was as my outlet, because as much as it may speak to you, it speaks loudest to me.
To put it simply, you’ve got to have something to do, to input all that energy. You need to give yourself an outlet. Because if you don’t, you’ll find out just how hungry your pain is.
Something to note and to remember with all your might is that the human soul cannot cherry pick what it numbs. By ignoring and suppressing your negative emotions and traumas, you also end up suppressing all feelings and experiences – your joy will never feel its fullest, those big moments and accomplishments will never feel that big.
And that’s a sad way to live, in fact, that’s no way to live. Don’t let yourself get used to the numbness that comes with not addressing discomfort and pain, realise we are all bound by emotional authenticity.
It’s up to you just how authentic you wish to be, so why not go the full mile and feel everything as it comes. Feel it all through craft, and creation, and friends, and conversation, and sport, and truth. There is a false pretence that holding onto pain grants you peace, I know this because I’ve felt it, but that is far from peace – that is ignorance at its worst form because it’s directed at yourself.
This touches on something I’ve been looking into recently called Shadow Work which is bringing the unconscious parts of your psyche to light through acknowledging and integrating them into your whole self. It’s a matter of getting your hands dirty and reaching into the soil, despite the weeds, and despite anything else that’s grown on top – allowing you to grow to your fullest.
You gotta resurrect the deep pain within you and give it a place to live that’s not within your body. Let it live in art. Let it live in writing. Let it live in music. Let it be devoured by building brighter connections. Your body is not a coffin for pain to be buried in. Put it somewhere else.
– Ehime Ora
One response to “25. The Importance of Resurrecting Pain.”
Indeed, pain can really be hungry! I hadn’t thought of it that way before. And you’re right, we need to do something with our energy to address discomfort. Ehime Ora’s words sound so deep and meaningful to me. Truly, such a beautiful post, dear, it really makes you think deeper.