I had been thinking for a while about buying clay or plasticine. Why? I had no logical explanation, so I didn’t rush. But the idea kept returning, making my fingers itch.
Eventually, I ordered clay, plasticine, and a set of tools. I put on an engaging lecture by a psychologist and started kneading the formless mass without any goal. The result surprised me.
Shapes emerged before my mind could recognize their meaning.
They were far from perfect, but that mattered less than the transformation of a vague feeling into something concrete. Now, there was something to look at, touch, and turn in my hands.
The unspoken became real. A chance appeared to relate to it in some way.
How do you build a relationship with something while still being fused with it? I am it, and it is me—like water and salt in a boiling broth. But what if the solution holds not just NaCl but a mix of many different salts?
The crystallized and precipitated substance—X—can now be studied, tested, and broken down into even smaller parts.
The key is that you engage with It proactively, rather than letting It secretly act upon you—poisoning, staining, or subjugating you. You are fighting for independence from powerful archetypes.
The illustration for this article is clever, but in my experience, it’s best not to choose between therapy and art but to combine them.
The gaze of Another—if kind and wise—blesses the unknown part of yourself you’ve uncovered but struggle to fully accept. The climb is much easier if a guide has been there before.
Yours sincerely,
-Alexander
About me:
As a business therapist, I help tech founders quickly solve dilemmas at the intersection of business and personality, and boost company value as a result.
How can I help you?
If you've long been trying to understand what is limiting you and/or your business and how to finally give important changes a push, then The Catalyst Session is designed specifically for you. Book it here.