There has been a lot of reflection today and a treat... yes, a proper treat I do not feel guilty about it in the slightest!
During the meditative part of my morning prayer, some personal stuff came out which, of course, is... personal (!) but then during the intercessions allocated for the day of the week, in this case Wednesday, when I mentioned Aid Agencies this surge... this fluttering... this very strong bodily reaction came up followed by excitement and memories of me playing the UN crises games for students in Cardiff back in 1986, my interest in international politics and especially World Peace, and how that was what attracted me in the first place to Buddhism and which I mentioned in my book Rebeltherapy. I cannot deny that I am a UWC Atlantic College ex-student, that I grew up believing and trusting the UN and I was left wondering if I could create something / belong to something / literally DO SOMETHING - ANYTHING regarding praying for World Peace... maybe this is part of my journey because - again - I cannot believe that God has put me on that journey of an international school which was founded on the words of Kurt Hahn, for nothing!
"There is more to us than we know.
If we can be made to see it,
perhaps for the rest of our lives
we will be unwilling to settle for less."
And this is so true: during those two years, I have seen things within me and in other people I had great difficulties in seeing and finding again. And there is also this large part of me, which has been asleep for so long, which does not want to settle for less. There is a renewed passion for life and peace and talks and involvement. I just need to find a way to channel this. Possibly prayer for international world peace and ecumenism is a possibility. I am not sure hence this is something else I can bring to my next mentoring session. Look at me: who would have thought that I was such a spiritual militant!
Regarding my art-making, today I have worked on my digital portfolio, sorting paperwork, and planning and addressing the theoretical side of my practice. And there was the treat: I drove to the nearest Starbucks for a coffee, sitting down with a book even if that was only for about 25 minutes. But it was needed and much appreciated. My reading took me via Tim Ingold onto the anthropological methodology of research and practice, which I think could be the perfect framework for me to use. I love how Ingold addresses in his book Making the difference between anthropology and ethnography. And how anthropological research is based on studying WITH, moving FORWARD and in a TRANSFORMATIONAL way which I believe is what I want for my practice to be. I want to study with the materials and the people, I want to learn and not just document a process; I want a reflective transformational practice; and I want to be able to think of a direction I want to go towards instead of reflecting on the journey that has been. Now, since I do not know much about that, this is part of my theoretical aim for the next weeks going towards the end of year show and the end of my university experience at a BA level.
So, this is dinner time for me, here in North Wales, and I am leaving you with my
piece of paper evening #5
onwards & upwards,
mx
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