Delicious fury

Our deepest values and deepest emotions WILL be expressed, even if we ignore or try to suppress them. Anger is often a ‘venting’ of other emotions. That’s one reason it can feel satisfying to get angry.

Our deepest emotions are not ‘problems’ to be fixed, they tell us what our core values are. But we often suppress our emotions for convenience or acceptance. Anger is easier to notice than more complex emotions and it feels safer to express. Fear, sadness, doubt, they feel vulnerable, whereas anger feels like you’re doing something — like ‘putting up a fight’. So that’s often what comes out.

Anger is not bad in itself, it’s energy. With attention and practice, we can direct it into positive actions. The times I go to the easel feeling angry, that’s when I do my best art. Channeling the anger in that generative (rather than destructive) way is powerful. Art takes my full attention and mental energy. Art is a way for me to explore what drives me. This exploration helps me clarify my values, and look beneath any anger that might be there. In this way, my art practice can inform my next steps in life.