The Wholeness Era: Turning Shadow into Creative Power
We are living in a time that feels like a collective dark night of the soul. Fires rage, climate change accelerates, and systems of power are at a breaking point. It’s an era of uncertainty and destruction, and the temptation to shield ourselves from the enormity of these challenges is strong.
Yet, this very moment—with all its darkness—is fertile ground for transformation.
Globally, we’re being asked to confront our shadows, both individually and as a society. The question isn’t how to avoid the darkness but how to engage with it, integrate it, and allow it to fuel new ideas, art, and ways of being. This reckoning can become a powerful catalyst for creativity and growth if we stop resisting and instead embrace the wholeness of our experience.
This emerging Wholeness Era, as I like to call it, is a cultural and personal turning point. It’s an invitation to move beyond the curated perfectionism of the past and lean into the messy, the raw, and the real. To create from this place, we must confront our own shadows—the fears, doubts, and pain we’ve buried—and transform them into fuel for authenticity.
Why We Shy Away from Wholeness
Carl Jung, the famed Swiss psychologist, introduced the concept of the “shadow”—those hidden, repressed parts of ourselves that we’d rather not acknowledge. The shadow might hold our anger, shame, or desires we’ve deemed unacceptable. Yet, Jung argued that ignoring these parts doesn’t make them disappear. Instead, they lurk in our unconscious, influencing us in ways we can’t always see.
In my own experience, the shadow feels like a demanding whisper: “Look at me. Acknowledge me.” But the problem is that most of us are taught to avoid it. From an early age, we learn to label emotions and actions as “good” or “bad.” Sadness? Push it away. Anger? Hide it. Vulnerability? Power through. This conditioning can be so strong that by the time we face a true reckoning—a heartbreak, a loss, or even a global crisis—it feels impossible to turn toward the pain.
So, why do we shy away from wholeness?
Fear of Facing Pain: Wholeness requires confronting the parts of ourselves that hurt—our traumas, insecurities, and failures. This can feel overwhelming and even unbearable, especially in a culture that disavows grief.
Societal Pressure to Be “Good” and Positive: We’re conditioned to prioritize being “good” and maintaining constant positivity over being authentic. Cultural narratives like “good vibes only” discourage us from acknowledging sadness, anger, or fear, pushing us to suppress emotions that don’t align with this ideal.
The Myth of Perfection: Social media and cultural narratives glorify perfection. Embracing shadow feels like admitting imperfection, which many find terrifying.
Fear of Judgment and Misunderstanding Vulnerability: Acknowledging and expressing shadow aspects makes us vulnerable to criticism or rejection by others. Many equate this vulnerability with weakness, when in reality, vulnerability is a strength that fosters connection and creativity.
Lack of Support or Tools: Without guidance or resources, confronting shadow can feel isolating and overwhelming.
The Dark Night of the Soul as Creative Catalyst
Staring into the abyss isn’t just terrifying; it’s necessary. Without the breakdown, there’s no breakthrough. Personally, I’ve seen this play out in my own creative process over the past 15 years.
My own journey toward wholeness started in my early 30s when I created Serenflipity. At the time, I was stuck in my personal and professional life and had read a Harvard Business Review article that stated the happiest people were those who allowed themselves to feel the full spectrum of their emotions. That insight resonated with me deeply. I realized that I wasn’t living fully—I was avoiding discomfort and gravitating only toward emotions I deemed “positive.” I set out on an adventure, one that would become the foundation of Serenflipity, to challenge myself to get out of my comfort zone and to feel everything.
I traveled to India and Southeast Asia with a mission: to experience the highs of joy, gratitude, and awe alongside the lows of fear, sadness, and frustration. I created challenges that pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to embrace vulnerability and a non-linear path of living. Whether it was facing my fears or leaning into moments of sadness, I discovered that true happiness lies not in avoiding difficult emotions but in allowing them to coexist with moments of joy.
Serenflipity, in retrospect, became a first personal project of wholeness, a practice of cultivating a life that honors all our our emotions and unexpected turns that life takes. This personal quest taught me that the depth of joy is directly linked to the depth of sorrow we’re willing to feel. By engaging fully with my emotions and how I respond to uncertainty and the unknown, I found not only a greater sense of fulfillment but also a creative wellspring that continues to inform my work.
But this power of shadow isn’t limited to my personal story — we read it in the books we love and sing along to anthemic lyrics in the music we adore. Beyoncé’s Lemonade turned personal heartbreak into a cultural phenomenon, blending rage, reconciliation, and empowerment into a musical masterpiece. Similarly, Billie Eilish dives deep into her inner world—exploring mental health and vulnerability—to create music that feels raw and profoundly authentic. Cheryl Strayed’s memoir Wild offers another example: by confronting her grief and addiction head-on, she transformed her pain into a story of resilience and self-discovery.
It’s tempting to look away from our individual and collective pain. But what if, instead, we leaned in? What if we allowed this reckoning to inspire new ideas, new art, and new ways of being? This isn’t about erasing the darkness—it’s about integrating it.
A New Paradigm in Mental Health Toward Wholeness
Beyond cultural cues, one of the clearest indicators of the Wholeness Era comes from the world of healthcare, biopharmaceuticals, and the shift in how we approach mental health. Traditional treatments, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac or Effexor, have long been the cornerstone of addressing depression and anxiety. These medications work by increasing serotonin levels in the brain, helping alleviate depressive symptoms. However, they often come with a significant tradeoff: emotional blunting. Studies show that between 40-60% of patients on SSRIs report feeling emotionally numb, unable to experience the highs and lows of life fully.
Enter psychedelic-assisted therapy, a burgeoning field that offers a radically different approach. Unlike SSRIs, which aim to dampen emotional extremes and stabilize mood, psychedelics like psilocybin and MDMA encourage patients to delve into the depths of their subconscious. These therapies are not about creating stasis but about providing tools and support to feel the full spectrum of emotions—even the overwhelming and challenging ones. Patients are guided to confront past traumas, repressed emotions, and their own shadows in a safe, structured environment. The result is profound emotional breakthroughs, greater self-awareness, and lasting mental health improvements.
I think that this shift from numbing to integration is emblematic of the Wholeness Era. It reflects a growing cultural understanding that true healing requires us to embrace, not avoid, the darker parts of ourselves. It is still emergent, and biopharmaceutical companies and MAPS are still battling with the FDA to reform policy, but the movement represents a tide towards wholeness, acceptance and healing that traditional methods have not successfully addressed.
Creating from Wholeness
True creativity doesn’t emerge from perfection or from being numb. It emerges from the messy, unfiltered, uncurated truth of who we are.
Wholeness isn’t about being “good” or “bad”—it’s about recognizing that all parts of us belong. Our happiness, our sadness, our frustration, and our joy are not in competition; they’re simply pieces of the greater whole. Each emotion, when supported and felt fully, becomes just that—a part of the human experience, not the entirety of it. If we’re willing to lean into the shadow and embrace all parts of ourselves, we can create from a place of authenticity—and that’s where the real magic happens.
So how do we access our wholeness and use it as a catalyst for creativity? Here are some of my favorite easy tips:
Feel Without Judgment: When emotions arise, allow yourself to feel them fully without labeling them as "good" or "bad." Recognize that every feeling is temporary and a color on a canvas, not the canvas itself.
Start a Reflection Practice: Journaling or meditating can help you identify and process emotions you may be avoiding. Ask yourself: "What am I resisting? What does this feeling want to teach me?"
Engage in Vulnerable Creativity: Try a creative activity you’ve always wanted to explore but felt intimidated by. Allow yourself to make something messy, imperfect, and raw.
The Wholeness Era isn’t just an invitation; it’s a call to action. Our world needs it. And so do we.
