Alter egos: A comprehensive guide (Pt. 2)
How embracing all aspects of your personality can nurture your creative practice.
Hello!
This guide is a follow-up to part one (because I just couldn’t fit all of my alter-egos into one letter!) which you can read below.
It might seem like a silly exercise (and there’s nothing wrong with that!) but exploring the different layers of my personality has helped me understand my needs, wants and desires more clearly. Recognizing how to tend to all of myself, (even when some of my alter-egos have conflicting goals), creates a greater sense of acceptance and self-awareness.1 It also helps me take myself less seriously, which is part of the fun!
As promised, here are a few more character descriptions with some profiles I made in Canva.
Childish Clara probably gets the least amount of attention- which is something I’m working to change!
Bougie Louise is antithetical to Basic Bitch Betty (who we met last time). You might say they are rivals but I think their needs and wants can actually be very complimentary!
Domestic Diane is probably my default alter-ego these days. The other day I realized that just as mom jeans became trendy again, I’m the mom still wearing skinny jeans, which I guess are the new not-cool version of mom jeans? Anyway, Domestic Diane is a cool cat but she definitely needs the thrill of Street Mariah and other alter-egos to add a little spiciness to life!
Speaking of Street Mariah…I didn’t have time to make a Canva profile for her but here are a few details (she’s the OG alter-ego and one of my faves):
Outfit: Faded jean jacket, ripped tights, black boots, slight snarl, brisk walk
Enjoys: Live music, making out with strangers in an alleyway, sharing a cigarette
Favorite pastime: Walking along through a big city, people-watching, riding the subway or public transportation, taking risks, getting lost, eating delicious street food, being spontaneous, and taking photos of street art.
Reads: Kerouac, Virginia Woolfe, Milan Kundera, zines.
Music: Bob Dylan, M83, Sigur Ros, Leonard Cohen.
Best character trait: Confidence
Needs to work on: Vulnerability
Obviously, there are some activities I don’t engage in anymore. Making out with strangers and smoking cigarettes have been retired to a former version of Street Mariah, BUT the essence of this alter-ego is still something I can nurture and appreciate by listening to music, trying something new, or tapping into her badass attitude.
You might have also noticed that some alter-egos have opposite strengths and weaknesses. Childish Clara has an easier time with vulnerability but hasn’t figured out boundaries yet. Street Mariah has GREAT boundaries but could be a little softer sometimes. Bougie Louise and Minimalist Madeline balance each other out so that I’m not constantly over-indulging in soft cheeses, nor going without a flush toilet (no shade on compost toilets, it’s just not my jam 100% of the time).
One of the gifts of going through this exercise is realizing you already have everything you need within you, it’s a matter of noticing and appreciating your wholeness. There are times I am more playful and others I’m more responsible. There are days I crave the processed food I grew up with (I could devour half a box of Ritz crackers in no time) and other days I want nothing more than a delicious, nutritious farm-to-table meal.
Embodying our contrast and embracing a both/and mentality can open the floodgates of creativity. Tapping into our various selves can offer a fresh perspective and depth to our way of being. When we create from a place of acceptance and curiosity it has the potential to change everything.
This week’s invitation:
Create a caricature of two opposing sides to your personality. Choose a common thread of conflict among them and draw, paint, write, or make up a resolution, as if you were solving an argument among friends!
Do you have a default alter-ego that gets more attention than other aspects of your personality? What’s the payoff? How might you benefit from tending to lesser dominant sides of yourself?
Choose the most neglected alter-ego and do one thing this week to acknowledge or care for them. Think of this like a version of an artist date! Maybe you need some fancy cheese, a spa day, time in the woods, bright colors, some live music, etc.
How many alter egos do you have? Do they always get along? What did you decide to do this week? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
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Someone whom I admire who has done much more serious and spiritual work with archetypes is Caroline Myss. Her book, Anatomy of the Spirit changed my life. She’s also written, “Archetypes: Who are you?” and has several short videos on her Instagram that gives a brief overview of the most common ones. It’s truly fascinating stuff!