Conflict Resolution | Mixed Media Project

Often I wonder whether a conflict with external antagonists is more easily resolved than a tug-of-war with yourself. Outward, one may be able to take advantage of a moderator. A neutral third party who only desires the best for you and the other individual.

However, can you successfully navigate a conflict with yourself? Who's going to step in present an opposing viewpoint with reasons you may not want to acknowledge as fair?

I know it's not easy for me to resolve a conflict I'm pondering. I usually seek help of my spouse who always provides me with a point of view as he understands my struggle.

I must admit that over the years, I continue to be confronted with conflicts that still remain unresolved. They remain even after receiving neutral advice.

I've come to the conclusion that not all issues have a smooth transition to resolution. The bumpy road to the end of the tunnel is paved with boulders too large to climb over. Sometimes I feel that I'm comfortable in the knowledge that the issues are still there. And there lies in wait a solution just around the bend.

Why would I want issues to linger unresolved for many years? That's a question I'm still grappling to understand.

When researching "conflict", I discovered that the situation runs much deeper than a mere argument or disagreement. It's a situation that occurs in which one of more parties perceive a threat, whether it be physical or emotional. In that instance, one party may retreat and not want to pursue an amicable resolution. ¹

However, avoidance is not a suitable resolution. The problem still exists and will continue to linger. In some situations, it can snowball into another, much devastating situation as it may be exacerbated by other events in the future.

Along that vein, I have heard from individuals, family, friends, and co-workers who explained that usually arguments and confrontations usually are not about the current issue. Another totally different event that happened in the past or is ongoing that hasn't been resolved seeks an opportunity to "get a jab in" when one person encounters another.

Carrying the weight of unresolved conflict is daunting and draining. The situation is never far from your thoughts. A word, action, or slight remembrance can push it to the forefront.

The other person may have already forgotten the event and has moved on. I believe the reason for this is that as humans we perceive situations differently because the events are subjective. No two people absorb the same impact of an argument or conflict.

I also feel that emotional intelligence comes into play in any given confrontation.

I've read numerous articles from experts on how to conflict resolution. The most important step in resolving any issue I believe is recognizing and acknowledging a situation exists that affects us. If we refuse to bring an issue out in the open, then it will never be resolved.

Do you struggle to deal with conflict, or do you have an approach that works to resolve your issues?

For my current mixed media project, "Conflict Resolution". wanted to portray a person who is dealing with an issue and is attempting to resolve it. She encounters conflict both internally and externally. The feeling I perceive from the image is one of confusion. A third person mediator is required.

Below are my procedures in which I utilized Canva, my design program, to blend the different type images. I leave with you my procedures which began with a blank, white canvas. I then added layers of elements in accordance with my upgraded Annual Pro Membership that includes tools to remove backgrounds, resize, filter, duplicate, and reposition items as required.

Night Cafe was the program I used to retrieve a stable diffusion image as the primary focus for the female confronting herself. Other images include free-sourced abstract and fantasy images, together with my pure fractal I created in the advanced fractal rendering program, Apophysis 7X.

Female Double - Stable Diffusion ~ Abstract blue hexagon and circles background ~ Blue damselfly on dry grass - Contributed to the #LIL by @borjan ~ Fantasy eye ~ White circle ~ Pure Fractal titled "Organ" created by me.