Self-Awareness = Self-Actualization

Short Stuff from the Southcoast, MA – I tell my students that before they can convince others to do or not to do something (themselves included) to remember it is not about changing minds.

There must first be a change of heart. A change of heart leads to a change in thinking. Changing your mind requires a cognitive decision making process. If I said, Je pense donc je suis would you know what it meant or what language it was in?

Now, if I said, cognito ergo sum, would you know what it meant or what language it was in? Does it matter to you either way? René Descartes said, cognito ergo sum, in the language of the Church and of the learned. In his native French, it means je pense donc je suis. But unless you understand either Latin or French, it means nothing to you.

So, alright already! In English it means, I think, therefore I am. How else would we know if we exist? To be conscious of ourselves as the "I" who is thinking about whether or not we exist is proof enough. That however, requires consciousness and self-awareness. We “are” because we know we “are” because we are aware we “are” because we can think. Hey - nothing easy is simple to explain; in fact just the opposite!

This ability was both the curse of Adam and Eve and their gift to us. Adam and Eve and the god Yahweh that made them in His (the capital H is for believers) own likeness. They, like their maker, were immortal. They were allowed any and all of the pleasures of life and immortality. They were, however, instructed to not eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Already I’m on a slippery slope with the more fundamental reader. Give me a chance! The fruit – it wasn’t an apple, believe me – when eaten, gave its consumer consciousness. Consciousness is awareness. The awareness of your own existence. This awareness is communicated to you through sensations, thoughts and perceptions. Adam and Eve traded immortality for consciousness (knowledge). I won’t get into free will here because that’s not the path I’m leading you down.

What I am doing is attempting to illustrate to you how your awareness of self creates your need for what Abraham Maslow made us aware of as - self-actualization. It was actually the theorist Kurt Goldstein and Carl Rogers who worked on this concept. Regardless of who was first, the theory remains the same – we all have the capacity to be, as the famous Army recruiting campaign expressed to– be all you can be.

In Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, self-actualization is the final step in our psychological development. It can only be achieved when all of our most basic needs – food, clothing and shelter – are fulfilled. Imagine, if you would, Western civilization before the mirror became common in the 16th century. Venice, a glass-making center became the center of mirror production. Increased production leads to lower costs and greater availability.

However, the practical applications of the mirror are nothing compared to its impact on society and culture. Let’s not forget both Cinderella and Alice and how a mirror played an important part of their stories. Mirrors not only give us a look at our reflections; it helps us to reflect on who and what we are.

Let’s connect the dots of self-awareness and self-actualization. How? Yes, with a line - drawing! If you’ve followed these posts you already know my position on drawing as a spiritual rite, ritual or celebration. If not, refer to previous posts. Just in case, to recap, drawing is spiritual because it assists us in either becoming conscious on a level we aren’t familiar with or, reaching a level of higher conscious.

What does consciousness have to do with drawing? It means I think, therefore I am. Thinking is awareness. Drawing requires awareness. You learn that looking isn’t enough. You need to see. Seeing is a perception. Perception leads to reality. Drawing, without belaboring the point or boring you further helps you to become more self-aware.

As you improve as a draftsman (the official and a much better word than drawer for one who draws), you become more self-aware. This awareness includes a sense of vertical (plumb) and horizontal (level), as well as, contrast, rhythm and space. How does this increase your self-actualization? You become better able to embrace reality.

You become more perceptually unfettered allowing for more or greater spontaneity. Your problem-solving skills are more improved. And perhaps most importantly of all, you are better able to accept yourself as you are and as you see yourself, as you are, in your mirror. When you reach this level of humanity, you will also be more accepting of others because you have achieved your actuality.

Yeah, drawing can do that for you! As one of my art students said in regards to criticism from non-artists and how they make artists feel as though they’re handicapped, “we’re not handicapped – they are!” Drawing is a spiritual and emotional journey within ourselves and, at the end of the day, we have something (the drawing) that represents our latest achievement. That’s why we draw!

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