Fatma | The warrior
The latest Soul Sign portrait, some journaling prompts to help you on your journey of Uncovering, and a note from me.
Last week, while chatting with my Mum, I showed her the Soul Sign portrait I was working on at the time (not the one pictured below).
Naturally, my work brain was just telling me what wasn’t good enough yet, what needed improvement, etc.
My Mum’s response to the unfinished piece had nothing to do with my drawing though, she simply said, ‘I find all of these women so beautiful and engaging, I want to know more about them.’
Well, yes. Her words were a good reminder of the whole point of Soul Signs. Not to create a ‘perfect’ portrait, but to help my clients sink a little deeper into their own lives, to connect them more to themselves, and to connect them to others by sharing something about them.
Increasing connections, or relating to someone’s story, builds energetic ties in the world, it links us to each other. It creates more compassion and love for one another, which in turn leads to more kindness. I, for one, certainly want to make the world kinder and to inject it with love, in any way I can.
It is my belief that every last one of us has a truly fascinating life, a story we can relate to, and pieces of ourselves to uncover and shed some light on. My Mum wants to know more about the people in my portraits because they are endlessly interesting, just as you are, as everyone is.
Your life is worth sharing, in every sense.
Which brings us to the second Soul Sign Portrait in the series; Fatma.
Fatma is one of the best examples of a warrior I’ve ever seen.
After a lifetime of micro-aggressions, discrimination, judgement and prejudice, what do you do? Do you give in to the anger, overwhelm, exhaustion, fear and sadness? Or do you become empowered?
Perhaps all of the above. Finding that balance between the ability to feel all the difficult emotions that come with experiencing injustice, and still know the strength that sits deep inside you, that’s what makes a warrior.
Fatma has that spark inside her, and buckets’ full of intelligence, determination and grit to carry her through.
She challenges the status quo,
she refuses to be put in a box,
she asks the difficult questions.
She fights back.
Not just for herself, but for women everywhere.
Despite that strong and tough exterior, beneath the surface there also lies a softness, a considerate and kind-hearted woman, an exceptional mother, and someone who won’t give up on her friends. She holds herself to impossibly high standards.
Soon to graduate with a Phd, Fatma the warrior will become Fatma the Doctor too. All I can say is that if you can count her among your friends, you must be doing something right.
Now it’s your turn, some prompts to help you to uncover your own story:
When I first meet people, what would I like them to know about me? How do I want them to see me?
For those who love me and know me well, do they see this aspect of me clearly, or is there still something I want them to know/understand/see?
What is the one thing I don’t want people to find out about me or my history? Why?
What do I feel shame around? Why am I ashamed of this part of myself/my story?
What side of myself do I find hard to express?
If you’re feeling really brave, come out into the open by sharing some of your answers with me, or wherever you like. You’ll learn that the feeling of being exposed and vulnerable is not as scary as it seems. Only in ‘outing’ our shadow/shame, can we shed it and be released from it. This will always be a non-judgemental space.
I also wanted to add that if you had a tough few days, you weren’t the only one! Everyone seems to have had a rough ride over the last week, especially with the days getting shorter and colder. Know that you’re not alone, and get in touch if you need a little extra support.
Until next week,
Tamzin xx