We all make monsters throughout our lifetimes starting at an early age. They become our way of both avoiding and dealing with what frightens and overwhelms us. In affect, the monsters we create hold our tension for us as we move into and through difficult situations and phases of our lives. Our monsters also seem to get bigger as we become more frightened and anxious, overtaking our hearts and minds as we respond by trying to run from or destroy them. What if instead of running from or annihilating our monsters we confront them, facing our fears and anxieties head on. Think of it as having a conversation with the monster you create, asking it why it is here and what it wants from you.

I often talk to kids about not slaying the dragon, but learning how to live with one, finding out what he holds in his talon or hides in his lair. The monsters we create or the dragons in myths and fantasies we encounter possess secrets that we have to unlock. If we don’t t run away and/or try to destroy who or what we demonize and don’t understand in our thoughts and feelings we can trust our fears and anxiety because we stay long enough with them to recognize why they in fact exist. The goal is to figure out how to master what frightens and overwhelms us, diminishing the power of our monsters and releasing ourselves in the process. Buzzfeed has a post titled “Children’s Drawings Painted Realistically” that highlights an art exhibit and book by Dave Devries called “The Monster Engine” where he adds “a professional touch to children’s drawings.”

(Also check out our previous posts “The Monsters We Create” and “Cultural Symptoms: Demonizing Who and What We Don’t Know.”)