Krystyna Laycraft
"Persona", 2005, mixed media, 18"x24"
Through the first halfof our life, we construct and maintain the persona - mask, which is an adaptation of the ego to the conditions of social life. The construction of a workable persona is necessary part of human development in order to function within society. A persona is a compromise between individual and society as to what a man should appear to be. It is our titles, our functions, our duties, our role, but not really us. We need a lot of psychic energy to maintain this identity structure.Very often we become so rigid, so one-sided that we are forgetting to live fully and directly. The main goal of individuation (See my presentation: Individuation as a chaotic process) is to free the ego from its identification with persona and to immerse ourselves in chaos of genuine lives.