The last few years have been stressful and de-stabilizing for many of us.

Since the global pandemic was declared in March 2020, we have been bombarded with change on all fronts – including public health, unexpected international hostilities, economic and environmental issues.

Some of the things we have believed to be rock solid have proven otherwise. The people, social systems, and even material possessions we have put our faith in have not provided us with the stability and security we believed they would.

Each of us has had to change our personal perspectives and re-assess what we put our faith in, what we depend upon. What is true, stable, steady, and sure.

For many of us, our lives have been chaotic.

So how do we find perspective in times of chaos?

I believe part of the answer comes from a most unlikely source – the world of art.

What art tells us about chaos

When I think of chaos, I am reminded of this beautiful shadow sculpture created by Rashad Alakbarov (credit for image: Rashad Alakbarov’s Facebook post, 14 February 2018). It is an example of shadow art, where artists use various media to produce shadows that appear vastly different to the physical structures that create them.

This sculpture reminds me that, even when we feel there is chaos, there is a clear pattern or a purpose unfolding behind the scenes that isn’t always obvious.

Without lighting, the shadow on the wall is not visible, and the sculpture looks disordered and chaotic.

The ungainly and messy sculpture can reflect our lives. Disorganized and chaotic. Out of control. To the point where we can easily fall into a state of despair. And what happens next? We play out a self-fulfilling prophecy, where chaos begets more chaos.

But when a light shines through the sculpture at a specific angle, a clear and distinct pattern is evident in the shadow. Order appears. And all of a sudden, the meaning and purpose of the sculpture has been revealed.

Where once we saw a clumsy, seemingly senseless structure, the illuminated perspective now allows us to see the pattern, the order, and the magic.

Seeing shadows from a different perspective

Shadows are typically symbols of darkness. Secrets, the unknown, uncertainty and deceit. They can also be evocative of hidden shame, often from the past.

I have discovered that many shadow artists create their pieces to reveal a higher meaning. Their messaging isn’t revealed just through the physical structures, it is primarily revealed in the shadows.

The beauty of shadow art is that it doesn’t eliminate the shadows, it embraces them.

Shadow art recognises shadows are part of us, part of the bigger picture. In shadow art, the shadows are actually the heroes that reveal an inner hidden beauty that isn’t obvious in physical objects.

Conversely, as human, we tend to hide our shadows, our shadow side.

At times, we can feel messy, broken and incomplete. We feel we have pieces missing, that our personal lives don’t make sense.

Imagine what would happen if we applied lessons from shadow art in our own personal lives.

If we were able to shed light on our shadows and find the healthy pattern within. A pattern that helps us shift from our current holding pattern of shame, stuck energies and emotions. Imagine if we were able to embrace our internal patterning and shift to a place of peace.

Perhaps this would play out in the following way:

We might read an article or a Facebook post that makes us sit up and take notice. Or we might hear something inspirational in a podcast or TED talk that deeply resonates with us. Or a person might come into our lives who sees us more clearly than we see ourselves.

When this happens, that article, post, podcast, or person is illuminating our perspective. Sometimes these experiences are so powerful they are catalysts that allow us to recognise and acknowledge a beautiful unique pattern within ourselves, and our chaotic, messy lives.

And then suddenly, we have a renewed sense of purpose. Our lives start to make sense in a way they didn’t before. Imagine if this happened for all of us, so we were able to take that one step further, where we started to live our lives believing in our unique and beautiful internal patterning. How our lives would change!

Science also validates the connection between chaos and order

Did you know that the relationship between chaos and order is also supported by science? You may have heard of a scientific/mathematical area of study called Chaos Theory.

The following quote is a “layman’s terms definition” of chaos theory. Notice how closely it resembles what is portrayed in the shadow sculpture image shown above. Notice how closely it resembles what we have been experiencing in the last few years.

~ Chaos theory states that, within the apparent randomness of chaotic complex systems, there are underlying patterns, interconnection … and self-organization. (Wikipedia)

Here, both art and science are describing a theme of interconnection.

Both shadow art and science’s chaos theory describe what we are seeing in our world right now.

Over-riding chaos in the world at large, with hidden profound patterns under the surface.

In the shadows.

I challenge you to view this duality from a new perspective.

Consider that the hidden patterns behind the chaos are reminding us we are all part of a greater Oneness. And as we reinforce our relationships and interconnections, the hidden patterns and meaning in the shadows will become more prominent, and more visible to all.