I find some of the most interesting material to photograph in ordinary things that I strive to make extraordinary. Abstracts present ambiguous imagery that provoke the viewer’s imagination to project whatever he or she sees. I am always interested to know what you see in my abstract photographs. I took several shots of the inside of a fallen frond that fell from a Palm tree. I imagined the seeds were a city of people and associated the dark shadow "people" with C.G. Jung's concept of the shadow that describes the dark side of human nature in individual psyches as well as groups and nations that have a collective shadow which leads to dangerous actions, such as racism, scapegoating, enemy-making and the most destructive of all war. By accepting the dark side of ourselves we can achieve a more genuine and complete self-acceptance, defuse negative emotions that erupt in daily life, release the guilt and shame associated with negativity, recognize the projections that color our opinions about others and heal our relationships through a deeper and more intimate understanding of others and ourselves. Writing, art and dreams are catalysts to reclaim the disowned parts of ourselves. Although many think of the shadow as containing only darkness, as Jung stated, "its essence is pure gold." He believed there could be no birth of consciousness without pain. Jung wisely stated, "One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light but by making the darkness conscious."