Answers!

"The Awakened Mind does not repress images of darkness but makes them brilliantly conscious.  Ecstatically embracing all that we habitually supress, Palden Lhamo, the "glorious goddess", rides a mule through a sea of blood in a universe of flaming darkness.  Until we encounter these energies, that Tantras state, liberation, is only a distant dream".

From Celestial Galery by Romio Shrestha.

I realize my earlier post more than likely sounded simplistic, and perhaps obvious to some, but I think that sometimes the simplest questions are the most interesting if you really get into them.  Palden Lhamo is a Tibetan form of an ancient Indian goddess who became a protector of Buddhist faith.  Images of her are quite intense, often portrayed riding a horse through a sea of blood, wearing a garland of skulls and looking mighty fierce - similar to Kali.

In "The Nature of Buddhist Art," Rama P. Coomaraswamy wrote, "No distinction can be drawn between art and contemplation.  The artist is first of all required to remove himself from human to celestial levels of apperception; at this level and in a state of unification, no longer having in view anything external to himself, he sees and realizes, that is to say becomes, what he is afterwards to represent..."

And therefore every emotion that we feel, is represented in art.  It is an extension of our minds, bodies, energy, everything.  Such a sacred thing to really think about.  This manifestation of feeling, of energy, into a physical form, which can be transfered, shared, preserved for all time.  

We must embrace all aspects of our emotions, even the parts of ourselves that we are ashamed of, in order to truly be free, and further this path to enlightenment, or whatever. ( I'll settle for a peaceful existence).  I love dark music, and for some reason it seems to pull on me more than the lighter stuff, and so I am working with that, and seeing what it can become.  I need to liberate that, among other things, from inside of myself and see what happens.  But at the same time, keeping the balance, the yin and yang, that will allow for a healthy expression.