Vulnerability, in its deepest form, often feels like a double-edged sword. It can be empowering and liberating but also terrifying and exposing. Sari Fishman’s Inner Self Portrait, a collection of poems and paintings, shows this delicate balance with a raw intensity. It invites readers to confront their own hidden emotions. Through her deeply personal expressions of love, fear, loneliness, and self-discovery, Fishman lays bare the human condition, making vulnerability not just a theme but an emotional experience for the reader.
The Unfiltered Emotion
Fishman’s poetry strips away any pretense of protection. Her words are unapologetic, bold, and often provocative. They provide an unflinching look into the delicate role between love and fear, longing and isolation.
In one of the standout poems, I Am a Sizzling Stove, she writes, “You won’t emerge from us not even as a tiny cookie, half-baked, unpalatable.” This metaphor shows the fear of an unfulfilled connection and the deep frustration that often comes with love’s volatility. It is this tension, the push and pull between intimacy and withdrawal, that makes her work resonate so deeply with anyone who has ever experienced the fragility of relationships.
Her approach is refreshingly fearless. She does not hesitate to go into the messier, darker aspects of human emotions, acknowledging the contradictions and complexities that define us.
Her poem Forbidden Heart discusses the painful reality of love that can never fully be: “When I am filled with you, I breathe in heavily... inviting the pain to spread through me and through your forbidden heart.”
Here, Fishman turns vulnerability into a powerful force, turning love’s torment into something almost sacred. The act of embracing pain and longing, rather than shying away from it, forms the emotional core of her work.
Imagery and Symbolism
What makes Fishman’s vulnerability even more compelling is her ability to translate these deep emotions into often striking imagery. Her use of symbols such as clocks without hands, flames that cannot be rekindled, and paintings of tar and contamination provides readers with tangible representations of intangible emotions.
In Awakening, she writes, “I am a clock without hands, one time an hour, another time years.” It evokes the feeling of timelessness and the uncertainty that can come with love, loss, and self-reflection.
The visual metaphors in her work allow readers to not only feel her emotions but to see them. Her paintings, which accompany the poetry, enhance this experience by visually expressing the same themes.
The combination of poetry and art provides a multidimensional experience that invites readers to engage with her work on multiple levels: intellectually, emotionally, and
visually.
Vulnerability as Strength
In Inner Self Portrait, Fishman redefines vulnerability as a source of strength rather than weakness. Her willingness to confront her deepest fears, insecurities, and desires offers readers permission to do the same. Through lines such as, “Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not the beautiful blue creature you thought I am,” Fishman shatters the illusion of perfection and societal expectations. This honesty makes her work relatable, as readers are likely to see parts of themselves in her words, the parts they may be too afraid to acknowledge openly.
Fishman’s exploration of vulnerability is not limited to the individual. In From a Distance, It’s Best, she acknowledges the safety of emotional distance: “that way, no one gets hurt, to blur you inside the frame.” It reflects the human desire for closeness while simultaneously fearing the pain that often accompanies it. Yet, by addressing this duality, Fishman subtly encourages her readers to lean into vulnerability to embrace the risks of love and intimacy, even when it feels uncomfortable or dangerous.
Embracing the Inner Self
The Inner Self Portrait encourages readers to look inward, to confront the parts of themselves that they may usually hide from the world. Her poetry and paintings serve as mirrors, reflecting the complexities of identity and emotion in a way that feels deeply personal yet universally resonant.
By unmasking the raw emotions we all hide, Fishman challenges the idea that vulnerability is something to be feared. Instead, she shows that it is through vulnerability that we truly connect not only with others but with ourselves.
Conclusion
Inner Self Portrait is an emotional journey, one that invites readers to embrace their inner selves with all their imperfections and contradictions.
Sari Fishman’s work is a powerful reminder that vulnerability is not a weakness but a source of strength. Her honest, raw, and evocative expressions of love, pain, and self-discovery leave a lasting impact, encouraging readers to reflect on their own lives and emotions in a new light.
Ready to unmask your own raw emotions? Get your copy of Inner Self Portrait today and go on a journey of self-discovery through the power of poetry and art.
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