No-Face

by Ken Walker

Title

No-Face

Artist

Ken Walker

Medium

Digital Art - Digital Painting

Description

Image of the character "No-Face" from the movie "Spirited Away" - spirit with the ability to absorb the emotions and personality of those it digests - used to represent the classic "sin-eater" someone who takes responsibility for the sins of others.

Faceless One by Ken Walker

I am the faceless one,
Sin-eater,
absorbing what doesn’t belong to me.
I roam in between this world and the next,
shifting in and out of existence,
I am the silent prisoner.
Release me from the deal I’ve brokered,
Accept my golden token,
Spirt me away
to live again.

Artist Note - "Update: “My original comments [12/07/2021] have been edited to more accurately explain the thought behind the poem presented above. My apologies to anyone who was affected by my original note as I did not take sufficient thought and time in the crafting of my comment, and therefore may have communicated something that was not in my original thought process.

In researching the character of “No-Face” from the movie “Spirited Away”, I was struck by the character’s ability to absorb the essence of the other spirits, taking on their personality and traits. In the movie, No-Face initially is seen transparent, out of view, observing the main character, but soon changes to become more invasive as he absorbs more hostile spirits. This was a perfect analogy to what I am learning now is called “Toxic Empathy”. Empathy, in its healthy form, allows a person to understand the feelings and motives of another person, while keeping their own identity, thoughts and emotions. “Toxic empathy is when a person over-identifies with someone else’s feelings and directly takes them on as their own.” [“What is Toxic Empathy” LifeStance Health www.mygbhp.com] I have taken the term “sin eater” to describe this unhealthy lack of separation, the moment when an individual goes beyond understanding and sharing, to owning another person’s pain and behavior. In the case of abuse, a person (empathic in nature) suffering from toxicity will take on the abuser’s emotions and directed that towards themselves, thus freeing the abuser from any responsibility. In the poem, the “faceless one, sin-eater” is seen “absorbing what doesn’t belong [to them]” They do not own whatever they are taking inside their hearts. The more transference that takes place the more they “shift in and out” of who they really are, thus they become a “silent prisoner” living their own emotion in secret. Here the “faceless one” is crying out for help from their REAL SELF to be released from the “deal [they’ve] brokered” with their wounded self – who has learned this behavior most likely from an early age. In the poem (another nod to the movie), “golden token” is a reference to the goodness inside, the desire for health and healing, a token of hope, as it were and by doing this exchange, can be spirited away to a healthier identity, one free from the toxic sludge they have been accustomed to.

Rest assured that I in no way mean to discourage those that give their hearts to others, sharing the burdens of others. This is certainly what we should all do – as long as we do not own the burden ourselves. I do not believe that we are meant to do this, not only for our own good, but for the good of others. We can only help others face their darkness when they are confronted with its consequence. If we take this away, we do them more harm than good.

I pray that this brings more clarity. And finally, for the record, this poem reflects what I have struggled with. I know what it is to be abused, and still am working to remove myself from those that still engage in abuse. My heart shares in your pain, and I hope you share in mine – let us encourage one another to become healthy and whole.”

Uploaded

December 8th, 2021

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