‘To express yourself is to honor your existence.’

Expression -in any shape or form- makes everyday living somewhat poetic, or atleast tolerable, depending on the day. It matters because it’s a way of expanding ourselves into the person we are meant to be. And like clay to the potter, we shape our character by molding it in a way only we know how to.  Imagine a world without outlets for internal struggles, hopes, and dreams. how else would we immerse ourselves in a world of our choosing- through books, full of stories that make us either aware or blissfully unaware; through music- which tells each other what our heart aches for without saying a word; or through photography- where a single painting evokes a certain emotion so grand. Even athletic pursuits – where the body moves in sync with the mind, and heartfelt conversations that changes the dynamic of our relationship with ourselves and others. Hence, expression is the art that bleeds emotions by showing us how much we can feel and how alive we can be.

The funnel is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. i see this as a metaphor; raw emotions, experiences and thought we have daily pour at the top, and as they go through the funnel, they are refined and translated into writing, painting, and other forms of expressions and in the end, we get the outcome- which could be a resolved feeling, a piece of art, or an angry journal piece.

Eight billion people experience the world differently; that’s eight billion points of view. Each of us has something to say- we just express it differently. It shows that everyone ‘expresses’ even those who claim they are not creative- The way someone dresses, cooks, decorates their room is a form of art. This, i believe, is the most beautiful part of humanity, the ability of expression.

Expression also helps process grief, heartbreak, or confusion. As someone who once suppressed to convey my emotions, I would say that it is freeing to be able to embody my inner self without fear of judgment. I have covered perfectionism a few times in my previous blogs, but it bears repeating; The need to appear without mistakes or emotions will strip away relatability and sense of belongingness in life.

My form of expression depends on my mood. I love to write when i feel overwhelmed, cook when i feel happy, dance when i feel heavy- they say trauma is stored in the hips; dare i say i don’t have any anymore. What’s your form of expression? It could be anything as long as it makes sense to you. It is also imperative to find a safe space, like AWiB, where that expression feels easier and encouraged.

So, as we step into the new year, lets make a resolution to extend ourselves more fully,  to get out of our comfort zones, to explore the hidden borders of our minds, and align them to our external selves. Ps. One step at a time.

Happy Ethiopian New Year!

Written by: Ruth Mekasha

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