How Carl Jung inspired me to become a painter

As an abstract oil painter based in Washington DC, I often feel like my journey to become an artist has been a surreal and unexpected one. But what makes my story remarkable is the journey I took to become a painter. It was not a straightforward process. 

Before discovering my passion for art, I served as an officer and helicopter pilot in the United States Army for many years. It was a life filled with discipline, structure, and a clear sense of purpose. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. In fact, I’ve always had a sense that something was missing throughout the majority of my twenties. 

In my search for meaning, I turned to the works of Carl Jung, the famous Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. Jung’s ideas about the human psyche and the collective unconscious fascinated and resonated with me, and I began exploring my own personal unconscious in order to gain a deeper understanding of myself. In the same way Carl Jung encountered his own personal unconscious over a seven year period, I too plunged myself into the depths of the psyche. It was a mysterious and oftentimes chaotic period of my life. 

It was during this exploration that I discovered two things. One, I was a creative at heart. Two, painting emerged as my desired form of expression of my creativity.  I found that painting was a way to express the images and symbols I had encountered in my inner world. Painting became a way to explore my own psyche and make sense of my experiences. It was a transformative process. 

Figuring myself out was not an easy process. It required me to embark on an inner journey of self-discovery, facing my own fears and vulnerabilities. I’ll talk about those fears and vulnerabilities in another blog post. However, the rewards were immense. Through my art, I was able to connect with something greater than myself, tap into the collective unconscious, and pursue a career that I had never imagined for myself. My family has been surprised by my recent artistic activities, because for many years I was very much the opposite of an artist - I was a military guy. It’s been cool to see how supportive and encouraging people are when I talk about my journey. In all my professional experiences, it was the first time people liked what I was doing just for doing it. Not because what I was doing was “respectable” or status-driven. 

I am not the only artist to have been inspired by the work of Carl Jung. Other artists, such as Salvador Dali, Jackson Pollock, and Frida Kahlo, have also drawn on Jung’s ideas in their own work. Like me, these artists recognized that unlocking their creativity required a deep understanding of the self and the human psyche.

If you’re looking to discover your own creative passion, I suggest you start reading Carl Jung, particularly his books “Psychology of the unconscious” and “Man and His Symbols.” The first step is confront your fears and anxieties, because they will lead you on the right path to self discovery. This can be a difficult process, as it requires you to confront your own fears and vulnerabilities. But through this exploration, you may discover a newfound sense of purpose and creativity that you never knew existed.

In conclusion, my story is a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to discover your true passion in life. Whether you’re an artist, a writer, or simply someone looking to tap into their own creativity, the journey begins with a deep understanding of the self. By drawing on the ideas of Carl Jung and embarking on your own inner journey, you too may uncover your own personal diamond in the rough.