I’m not familiar with the artist’s work so I’ll have to give it a look. But interestingly, I reflected on where you mention how we create our selves, our senses of who we are, and that includes things others tell us/have told us about ourselves. I find that as a parent of young adults, a fair bit of what I’m doing now is reflecting back to these young people things they know about themselves but might be temporarily overlooking. “What an opportunity for you. You’ve always been so xyz.” Or “that must be so frustrating. You value abc in friendships and this is not that.” - helping them see themselves. I’m very aware of the need to not overstep (and have the helpful reinforcement of each of my strong-willed young adult kids who say “no, that’s not how I am now…” or otherwise correct me if I get it wrong.) but also it seems an under-explored part of parenting young adults, the way we’re collaborators with them in their own creation/becoming. I also see how very easy it could be for parents to get entangled or to miss the point about how to support their young adult children without trying to helicopter parent them as they launch.
I’m not familiar with the artist’s work so I’ll have to give it a look. But interestingly, I reflected on where you mention how we create our selves, our senses of who we are, and that includes things others tell us/have told us about ourselves. I find that as a parent of young adults, a fair bit of what I’m doing now is reflecting back to these young people things they know about themselves but might be temporarily overlooking. “What an opportunity for you. You’ve always been so xyz.” Or “that must be so frustrating. You value abc in friendships and this is not that.” - helping them see themselves. I’m very aware of the need to not overstep (and have the helpful reinforcement of each of my strong-willed young adult kids who say “no, that’s not how I am now…” or otherwise correct me if I get it wrong.) but also it seems an under-explored part of parenting young adults, the way we’re collaborators with them in their own creation/becoming. I also see how very easy it could be for parents to get entangled or to miss the point about how to support their young adult children without trying to helicopter parent them as they launch.
You’re absolutely right, and we do it from the moment they’re born!