Seventh Dot: Sustainable Practice

Seventh ; Working Conditions

A holistic approach to making and exposing

Now my time for change has come. After living during the night for twenty years, I decided to devote myself to the morning. The past two years, I woke up at 06:30, meditated, exercised, read and wrote. By 8:30 I was ready to start the rest of the day. I gave up drinking, smoking and playing American pool. I have been exploring the influence lifestyle and working conditions have on my work. A 126 days ago, I added an ice-cold shower to my regime as a way of training endurance and overcoming the fear of the 'most- unpleasurable'. I understood that by welcoming uncomfortable situations I free myself from their regime. As being in the comfort zone took a heavy toll on me. You can read more about that process in the first semester's critical review (book 01 p.08).

Working conditions form the basis of a sustainable practice. During the past two years, I made it my practice to contribute to the all-round research environment. Creating pleasurable conditions means 'holding space', for myself and the people I work with. It is just as important as the work itself. I started with small gestures such as having plants, flowers, tea and fruits for us to share. I continued creating a cosy working environment in the editing room and the classrooms. Finally, I also learned new ways to communicate and solve problems: in the past year, I took a 12 week course of non-violent communication. In addition, I am following a one year course to become a guide during ceremonies and rituals.

During the period of the master, I found inspiration in working around my peers and mentors. Though I have a private studio 300 meters from the school, I choose to work daily at the academy.

A simple example; while working in the editing suite, an alumnus comes in. We sat for half an hour; I presented her my Visual Abstract. We discussed it, and she offered me advice based on her experience making the Visual Abstract last year. One thing led to another, and I asked her to shoot my next performance. I have these kinds of encounters daily. Small miracles occur when I am here.

Being part of a small community of artists that inspire, support and work with each other and individually turn out to be a powerful tool. Therefore, I was one of the initiators of an artist guild named WIP (Work In Progress). We are six artists from different fields, and we are meeting on Sundays to show each other's artistic developments (and setbacks). I co-created during the master with all of them. From my experience of the past two years, I understand that being physically in a shared space is essential for my artistic practice. We are therefore searching for a studio together. After graduation, we will form a foundation to continue to sustain our activities.

It was through giving presentations for the exam each semester that I understood that I prefer engagement with the spectator in a performance form. The presence of the audience is a part of the working process. The spectators are also collaborators, the dialogue with them help the process of making. The work grows organically, resembling breathing. I inhale as I go into the studio, then exhale as I explore during the performance. After the performance I have a feedback session with the audience, inhaling their impressions. I go back to the studio incorporating what I experienced and discussed. Then I take another breath in the studio and continue this process.

In the past two years, I gave up coffee and replaced it with drinking tea. Tea, to me, is a way of giving myself time and permission to stop whatever I am doing and reflect. I used to smoke 60 cigarettes a day so that I could have those precious moments. Coffee is about waking myself up and pushing to go faster and harder. Coffee and cigarettes used to be my fuel to keep on speeding even though I needed to rest.

Tea became a way to connect with others as well as myself, and slow down. May it be daily in the classroom, before or after a performance, or at other times drinking tea was itself the performance. In the first semester, I gave a chadō (茶道), a Japanese tea ceremony for my class. The third exam was a five O'clock tea party. I hope we will be drinking some tea together very soon.