What happens when you paint emotions in the dark?
I’m Anand Quinn, an emotional wellness and embodiment coach based in Tuamgraney, Co Clare, Ireland. I share a series of talks on emotional wellness on YouTube, and as part of it, I use one painting where I added a new layer of paint each week to represent that specific emotion.
Using cotton paper and acrylic paint, I painted one evening a week, in darkness and allowed the painting to happen. Here I share each of the images and their emotional layers as they change from week to week along with links to the videos.
A look at darkness, its benefits and drawbacks
In this video I talk about darkness, how it can benefit us or how it can keep us in a particular behaviour that holds us back.
I painted this image in the dark and loved playing with the blackness and texture of the paint. It is a fun way of painting to remove that inner critic and paint more freely.
Anger – a no-go zone or an eruption
In this video I talk about three types of anger: inward anger that is against the self, outward anger that is expressed to others, and conscious anger, which is when we are aware of it.
I really enjoyed playing with red and expressing anger through the movement and colour. It is a fun way of releasing that tension in a safe way.
How deep is your laugh?
When I explore laughter in this video, I ask some reflective questions on how deep is your laugh? What is your relationship with it, is it something you hide, avoid, or repress?
While painting laughter I wanted to capture its bubbly effect and its more complex aspects because often we can hide our sorrow or other uncomfortable emotions behind that hollow laughter.
The freedom to cry
In this video I explore tears and talk about the freedom to cry.
When I was painting crying, I used a mix of purple, blue, and white to denote both tears and their healing aspects. How many of us feel cleansed and lighter after a deep cry? I know I do.
Disgust, the canary in the coalmine
This video explores physical and emotional disgust where I share how it can protect us. I also take a look at self disgust and how we can bring compassion in with ourselves and others.
Is disgust something you avoid or embrace? For many of us, it’s an emotion we’d rather avoid, especially when it turns inward.
Fear, how it helps or hinders us
I am enjoying how the many layers of emotion are changing this painting from week to week.
This video explores fear and explores how it can help and hinder us. Does fear keep you caged within?
Joy, and the tapestry of emotions
This is the final version of this painting which I enjoyed so much.
In the video I share why I chose the emotion joy, rather than happiness, and I close with a meditation on emotions.
What This Process Taught Me
Creating this painting over seven weeks allowed me to play and experience the spectrum of emotions and share them publicly with you. Painting in the dark allowed my rational and self critical mind to switch off and let the paint and emotion move through me. Each individual emotion has a certain quality and feel. There are some I lean into more, and others i shove away. I struggled with disgust the most, it was a sharp, acidic feel but in painting it, I came closer to it and found myself embracing it more so. When I look at the painting as a whole, it is a tapestry of emotions where they all interrelate with each other.
When we meet and encounter our emotions, they no longer stay buried or stuck. They move through us and that is where emotional freedom arises. Whether through paint, movement, words, or meditation, we need outlets for what lives inside us so it can be met and freed.
Reflection Questions
- Which emotion in this series speaks most loudly to you right now?
- What would happen if you gave yourself permission to express an uncomfortable emotion through creativity like painting, writing, movement, or sound?
- How do your emotions layer on top of each other? What sits beneath your current mood?
Resources & Related Content
If you found this helpful, you might also enjoy:
- Emotional Wellness Coaching – Work with the full spectrum of your emotions through coaching that integrates somatic practices and meditation
- YouTube Channel – Watch the full emotional wellness series
- Meditation – Discover meditation practices that help you stay present with difficult emotions
Want to explore your emotional landscape?
If you’re curious about working with your emotions in a supportive, creative way, either through coaching, meditation, or both, book a free 60-minute Insight Call to explore what might serve you.
I work with clients throughout Ireland (Clare, Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick) and internationally who are ready to transform their relationship with their inner world.
What emotions are you painting with right now; literally or metaphorically? I’d love to hear from you. Leave a comment below or reach out at info@wellnesswithanand.com
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