A podcaster recently told me this show was "really dark." So today, we're leaning into that darkness—because that seemed way more fun.

This episode is about shadow work. Not the Instagram version. The real version. The kind that happens when you realize the thing limiting your creative work isn't technical skill—it's the parts of yourself you've been hiding from.

Through David Bowie's near-destruction during his Thin White Duke era and his eventual disappearance to Berlin, we explore what it actually looks like to confront the buried parts of creative identity. Plus the story of a wedding photographer who missed the most important moment of the day—not because she wasn't skilled enough, but because she wasn't emotionally ready.

This isn't comfortable. It's not content-ready. But it might be exactly what your creative work needs to become whole.

In This Episode

The Australian Podcaster's Question - What happens when someone calls your work "really dark"

Bowie's Shadow Period - Los Angeles, 1975. Red peppers, milk, mountains of cocaine, and the creation of an "emotionless Aryan superman"

The Berlin Disappearance - How the world's biggest rock star chose to vanish and why that wasn't the failure—it was the beginning

Jung's Shadow Theory - The psychological framework that explains why we hide parts of ourselves (and how it shows up in creative work)

The Wedding Photographer's Dilemma - When professional distance becomes emotional cowardice

The Five Creative Shadow Territories - Where every creative person hides parts of themselves:

• The Fear Shadow
• The Identity Shadow
• The Creative Shadow
• The Power Shadow
• The Authenticity Shadow

Personal Excavation - Why I hate shooting events (and what teenage depression has to do with adult creative limitations)

The Integration Process - Shadow dialogue, creative audits, and the difference between working around wounds versus working with them

Key Takeaways

• The shadow isn't your enemy—it's your undeveloped creative self
• What you avoid photographing reveals more than what you shoot
• Professional distance can be emotional cowardice in disguise
• Your creative limitations might be survival strategies from decades ago
• Integration isn't about fixing yourself—it's about letting buried parts speak

Mentioned in This Episode

Carl Jung - Swiss psychoanalyst who developed shadow theory David Bowie - Particularly his Thin White Duke period (1975-1976) and Berlin years Carlos Alomar - Bowie's guitarist who observed his creative process during the shadow period

Community

Share your shadow work discoveries using #TerribleShadows

Don't share the polished answers—share the parts of you you're just beginning to reclaim.

Music Credits

"Heroes" by David Bowie (approximately 1 minute used) Additional music licensed through Blue Dot Sessions

If This Episode Hit You…

• Leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
• Share it with someone who hides behind the work.
• Or drop me a note and tell me what question you can’t stop thinking about.

Follow the podcast

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📷 Instagram: @terriblephotographer

A Note About This Episode

This episode deals with themes of depression, anxiety, and psychological shadow work. It's designed to be therapeutic rather than triggering, but please listen with care for your own mental health needs.

If you're doing this work and it brings up difficult emotions, consider speaking with a mental health professional who can provide proper support.

Stay haunted. Stay human. And yeah... stay terrible.