In a session the other day we were talking about the concept of masking, or wearing a mask. How in its most literal sense, it doesn’t really fit what happens when we mask. We don’t pick something up and place it in front of ourselves.
A physical mask has hard edges. A definite line between who we are and what we are projecting. A foreign object which is both separate from us and separating us from the world around us.
It’s more like being a chameleon. Whatever you are projecting is still you, just enhanced in some way to help you fit in more successfully to the environment in order to protect yourself. Hiding parts of yourself to avoid rejection or projecting other parts of yourself to gain acceptance. Sometimes getting it wrong – and standing out even more when what you were aiming for was to blend in.
It’s much more subtle, and flexible, for me, both as an image and a metaphor. The shifting hues and colours that show up at different times, with different people. The sense of fully camouflaging, or just shifting slightly, depending on how safe you feel with the people you are with. The representation of the constant monitoring that is required to do it successfully, and the drain of energy and self that it requires.
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Image credit: Ante Hamersmit @ Unsplash
Image Description: A close up photo of a bright green chameleon with orangey gold markings, looking at the camera and standing on the hand of an unknown person. The photo itself is dark and the background is a slate grey.
