Of late I’ve had to ask myself why I continue in certain routines and behavior patterns, like working myself into an anxious tizzy over some small deviation in routine or overindulging in Netflix, cake, or wine. Sometimes I at least have the insight to know the course I’m on will likely end in tears. But often I just can’t (won’t?) see the obvious outcome. This time, I tell myself, the fear is reasonable. This time, the treat won’t turn into a binge. I have a blind spot. Likely, several. Other ways to think of blind spots are the Jungian shadow self, negative spaces, and peripheral vision: examples from psychology, art, and science. These are all places of altered perception if we can bend our minds enough to try and see.

Patterns and Blind Spots

People love patterns. We see them when they aren’t really there (pareidolia and apophenia) and construct the same ones over and over again in our lives. They feel correct because they feel familiar, but often they are dysfunctional habits or even a pattern we absorbed as young children from our home environment. But patterns can also help us find invisible things: to assess the blind spots. Dream records, especially with the set intention of asking the dreams to help us see, is one way. Divination tools like Tarot are another. A key practice is to let go of interpretations from the outside world and hone into the message sneaking up from the “peripheral vision” to reveal the blind spots.

Our Friends and Our Blind Spots

Other people can reveal our shadow; often what we most dislike in others is a trait we can’t even see in ourselves. Folks who easily push our buttons generally have something to teach us, something we can’t see in any other way.

However, people may try to help by telling us what they think our problems are. Some family and friends freely volunteer such information, but all too often we’ve asked them what they think. (And that might be part of a lifelong dysfunctional pattern.) The problem here, even with the most kind, trusted friends, is that they have their own agenda, shadow, and blind spots. We are inviting projection of these things into our own lives. 

Do Fictional Characters Spring from the Author’s Blind Spots?

As an author part of character creation is to discover my paper-doll people’s blind spots and shadow selves. Ideally, these personality quirks will interact with those of other characters, just like in real life.

We can’t ignore the possibility that a fictional character, at least in part, is the author’s shadow, revealing itself through the tale. And if a character can be my shadow, perhaps my neurotic, control-freak ways sit squarely in their blind spot, a nagging awareness of something important, just out of sight. 

Don’t miss The Big Cinch from Montag Press, a supernatural noir adventure by Kathy L. Brown. Sean Joye, a fae-touched young veteran of 1922’s Irish Civil War, aims to atone for his assassin past and make a clean, new life in America. Until he asks the wrong questions… 

How do you draw insight from your blind spots? Comment on the blog. Navigate to my website, click blog title, and complete dialogue box that will open at the end of the post.        

If you enjoyed this journal entry, you might like to read about Fictional Character Creation.

I started this blog thread on the gritty details of the writing process over on my Facebook Author page, @kbkathylbrown, but think I might be better served putting it over here. If you’re interest in following my writing process in an informal way, you’ll find a few posts on Facebook that might interest you. You can subscribe to the blog from the website landing page (scroll down).

And Now a Word from Our Sponsor

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Love Letters to St. Louis is an adorable letter-shaped volume of short stories, poems, essays, and illustrations and includes my first science fiction story, “Welcome to Earthport Prime: A Self-Guided Tour.” A perfect gift and profits benefit the guild’s young writers’ program. Available on Amazon and local St. Louis bookshops.

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