The Wrapping Workshop
Wrapping is a physical exploration of how I can begin to deconstruct the notion of failure. To remain in my body as I wrap I have made vows to steer my ‘hyper’ productive tendencies into a sustainable rhythm. This series has opened space for me to play and move towards impulses and instincts without judgment. As I’ve continued this project - I’ve been discouraged by the questions of why. These moments of discouragement, however, have opened space for me to trust that sometimes the body knows before the mind. Without the fear of doing my practice incorrectly - while remaining in line with my morals and ethics - how can I expand past preconceived notions of what it means to be an artist, a woman, a daughter, a person, a body. The biggest question that has come from this project is how has my potential for expansive joyousness of self-identity been limited by the fear of doing it incorrectly? If I can understand failure as a construct, how might I be able to remove myself from its limitations? With this workshop I was opening up the door of this ‘failure-free’ space to share with others.
Participation Invitation
In front of you are various pieces of wood and coloured thread - choose what speaks to you. This activity can be done with two hands, three hands - four hands, sixteen hands; but proves challenging with only one hand. This activity doesn’t exist without partnership - between people, material and/or self. As you begin I ask, you bring your attention to the conversations presenting themselves, be that the ones between self, material, partner, hands and body.
Become the thread, frame and movement. Move rapidly and wildly or calmly and carefully. As you wrap you are deconstructing the ball of yarn, you are covering the wood, you may be growing frustrated, confused or stumped, you may be enjoying it or you may be hating it. And then at one point you may find yourself searching for the resolution of ‘doing it right’. If you end up here, pause, open space by releasing the notion of doing it incorrectly - let’s allow that to not exist here at this moment - after all we’re wrapping thread over wood. This is not life or death - let this be an expansion of self. This is a moment of contemplation, exploration, play, joy - pause.
As you wrap I invite you to sit with this question: when we stop holding space for the fear of doing things incorrectly, what might grow?
