...or how a dark subculture can be a metaphoric light.   

I am no stranger to woe and darkness, for I am made of gooey gothic splendor.
One of the major misconceptions about the goth scene is that it’s only about the darker side: death, gloom, and despair. Despite this knee-jerk association, the reality is that some of the rather sunshiny constructs from the field of positive psychology apply quite easily (and amusingly!) to goths and the goth scene.