Collaboration

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Last year I submitted my poetry to a creative contest put on by the Kula Collective, a group of yogis/ creative facilitators. I won $600 off one of their Creative Facilitator Intensive trainings. It was a big step up in my understanding of group dynamics and the art of facilitating.

The final project was an ‘Art Play’ where we were to integrate what we learned into a creative expression. I was pretty clichΓ© with my presentation, but it sort of just, happened. I was learning about the art of presence, just being with what’s present between two humans and what’s within me.

I put on some instrumental music and spent a moment sitting with each person in the group, gazing into their eyes. Yeahhh I did the eye gazing thing. After our moment together, I had each person add their creative flare to this tree above. It was my way of connecting with everyone, and then having everyone connect.

My ego had a typical experience. I thought that the persons I experienced the most resistance with while gazing, had resistance to being present with me and themselves. Who knows what the ‘objective’ reality of this experience was, but subjectively, I thought I was making others uncomfortable. Really, I was pushing my own limits! Presenting myself to others without words… with all the fears and wants in my being.

I was uncomfortable for about 6 months after this.

πŸ˜… vulnerability hangover. Definitely pace yourself.

One response

  1. Saransh Avatar
    Saransh

    Reminds me of..marina abramovic’s ..The artist is “present”.

    Like

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Ama Ndlovu explores the connections of culture, ecology, and imagination.

Her work combines ancestral knowledge with visions of the planetary future, examining how Black perspectives can transform how we see our world and what lies ahead.