Do you ever wonder about why superheros hide behind masks? Okay, I know, in part it is so that the villans don’t know who there are underneath, which could jeopardize their roles as heroes.  Another way to look at it is that it is their way of staying safe, of protecting themselves from attacks on their true selves. When you start to think about it, it really is fascinating that these super humans with the ability to help others with their strengths must hide behind masks. It’s as if they fear showing their strengths to others.

What is it about owning our strengths that is so difficult?  So often we hide behind masks, pretending to be something that we are not, or don’t feel we are enough of.  Masks can be a mixed blessing, protecting us from scorn and hiding our true identity which may in fact have a lot to offer the world. Masks can make us feel stronger, their barrier allowing us to try on parts of ourselves that we are unsure of, or that we are still strengthening inside.  That is the beauty of masks, they can reveal and hide parts of ourselves at the same time. Their versatility makes them an excellent self-exploration tool.
So often we hide behind masks, pretending to be something that we are not, or don't feel we are enough of. Click To Tweet

At the beginning of April I had the honor of facilitating a mask making workshop with a second group of highschool students* from an alternative school.  This was my second group at this school, and like the first, I learned so much from these youth.

Many of the students in this program are there because the regular system does not give them the emotional support that they need.  Adolescents already contend with lots of change and turmoil as they try to discover who they are amidst peer pressure. When you add to that depression, anxiety, learning disabilities then you can see how masks become ever more important tools of coping.

But just as the superhero’s masks can hide their identity and other strengths, so too it is with everyone; it is not just our shadow sides which become covered up (or emphasized depending on how you wear your masks) but also one’s strengths can sometimes become hidden or disguised.  Mask making is a wonderful way to explore this juxtaposition.

Masks can make us feel stronger, their barrier allowing us to try on parts of ourselves that we are unsure of, or that we are still strengthening inside.

*All photos of masks shared with written permission from participants and their guardians.

Are you ready to unmask your strengths and embrace your shadows? Join me May 14th in Toronto for an afternoon of self-discovery through mask making and expressive arts and uncover your authentic self in the Many Faces Of Life mask-making workshop