Me and My Shadow

Believe!

Carl Gustav Jung, said: "The Shadow is the unknown 'dark side' of our personality – dark both because it tends to consist predominantly of the primitive, negative, socially or religiously depreciated human emotions and impulses like sexual lust, power strivings, selfishness, greed, envy, anger or rage, and due to its unenlightened nature, completely obscured from consciousness."

Of course, Jung was referring to aspects of personality; he had no idea that our actual shadows were the very embodiment of these traits.

Gerard knows, or at least, he will shortly.

*

It was the fourth interview Gerard had attended and even before he walked in, he knew he wasn't going to get the job – just like he hadn't managed to get any of the others. Fresh out of college with a bachelor's degree in fine art and an abundance of serious talent - well that's what he had been told in college. He could only wish that he believed it. No strike that, he wished he could come anywhere even close to believing it.

It didn't matter what Mikey said; he was family and family will lie to you if they think it would help. It didn't matter what Ray said to him; Ray was his best friend and, well, similar story. It never actually occurred to him at any point that friends and family also tell the truth.

Gerard looked up, a despondent expression fixed on his face. It was a huge building, and on entering his ears were assaulted by all the noise and bustle of a successful business. As he was escorted to the Mr Jenson, the Art Director's office, the noise of copiers, printers, people clacking away on keyboards dealing with the vast amount of administration aspects of such a large company filled his ears. It was only when he was led through to the art department that a small smile crept with uncertainty across his lips, tweaking at them as he found his personal paradise. There in the art department, his eyes widened as he drank in the beautiful sight of row after row of large spacious cubicles each with its own adjustable drawing board, surrounded by pens, pencils, inks, acetates and every piece of equipment he had ever dreamed of using. This was Heaven and he tried his best to imagine himself hunched over one of the drawing boards, creating brand new superheroes, perhaps an award or two gracing the cubicle. He had a wonderful imagination, but somehow it stopped short of actually picturing himself in that scene. Suddenly deflated at the realisation, he followed Miss Birch, Mr Jenson's secretary toward the office at the end of the corridor.

"Excuse me, Mr Jenson," Miss Birch spoke softly as she entered the office. "Mr Way to see you regarding the Design Artist post."
"Ah, yes," he gestured to the woman. "Send him in."

"Good morning, Mr..."
"Take a seat," he interrupted brusquely.

The office was imposing and well-equipped with a large centrally located desk. Gerard couldn't help but notice the power dynamic in the room; the man behind the desk was seated in a luxurious, black leather, high-backed office chair, whilst Gerard was hunched over almost apologetically in a much smaller chair. Even without him being almost folded in on himself he appeared lost in comparison. Another apparently calculated move was that the window blinds were letting in sunlight that fell directly over Gerard's chair, forcing him to squint uncomfortably. Jenson had neither shaken his hand nor shown any interest in him since he had walked in.

Sitting in the small chair, Gerard placed his portfolio across his lap and looked up at Jenson expectantly. The man in his late fifties merely leaned back in the chair and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, show me your work, I don't have x-ray vision, you know."

The unnecessary sharpness of his tone surprised Gerard and he almost dropped the portfolio as he began to unzip the large black case. Standing up, he opened the folder across the desk and began to talk in detail about what he considered were his best pieces. How he had conceived the new characters, what traits, quirks and powers they possessed. He even began outlining a possible storyline. He was happiest when talking about his art. It filled him with joy and it gave him purpose.