Heather Freeman

In many cultures, demons represent both natural plagues upon humanity (illness, earthquakes, floods, etc.) and also the vices of human nature (addiction, greed, hate, etc.) In some religions, however, demons are regarded as another aspect of the divine, a complimentary force to the benevolent ones.

I asked various individuals to: “describe your personal demon”. I used social networking technologies such as Facebook to announce the project and collect materials. Often, people I knew personally forwarded the link to others so that my pool became increasingly diverse, both socially and geographically. Eventually, the list of personal demons topped fifty.

In collecting descriptions of “personal demons”, I found that the participants often described aspects of themselves that were self-perceived personality flaws or anxieties. These personal demons often pointed, however, to the strengths and unique qualities of that individual’s character. The responses very often revealed insecurities that pointed directly to a notable strength or positive quality of that individual. In Personal Demons, I want to celebrate these self-perceived insecurities as great unbeknownst strength.

© Heather Freeman