The Aspiring Young Women (AYW) group have been considering times when they have worn a mask to cover up their true emotions. We discussed how situations make us feel and how much of our true selves we are willing to share. This brought up issues of low self-confidence in situations such as first day at secondary school and when having to show they can cope with motherhood. The group were very supportive towards each other during the discussions. By writing about their own masks in their journals, I was able to help them express themselves through using appropriate vocabulary. Some of the girls were willing to share their pieces of writing with the rest of the group.
The session was finished by the group actually creating their masks. One girl in particular represented her mask very well. She made it extremely flamboyant with feathers, glitter and bright colours. This young woman has a very loud and outgoing exterior however underneath the façade is a much quieter and conscientious person, lacking in confidence.
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