A few weeks ago, I found myself crossing the River Thames and entering a working boatyard on Eel Pie Island, a renowned creative and cultural quarter in London. Here, for two whole days, I had full run of an artist’s studio. I had sheets of metal and a hammer, paint brushes, a huge slab of clay, wire and pliers, crayons, pencils, perspex and plaster moulds.
That first morning, I struggled. I was in entirely foreign territory, overwhelmed by possibilities, painfully aware of my own incompetence in this arena. I didn’t know what to do with these materials in front of me, I didn’t know what to do with myself. In my head ran a mantra: “I am not an artist. Why am I here?!”
I allowed my frustration and my discomfort and I stuck with it. And at some point, I’m not sure when, I became an artist. I felt at home in my overall, I started picking up materials instinctively, and caught glimpses of myself with paint splatters on my face and my nails caked in clay. I walked amongst the other artists and we reflected on each other’s processes and products; I was welcomed onto house boats and enjoyed the background clang of boat-workers welding.
On my return home, I felt alive and more whole. My whole being had been engaged and I felt bigger; there was more of me, because I was now this too.
Someone made this possible for me. My client, Sarah Preece, is a working artist who has just launched MakingSpace, a venture to reconnect us with materials, with making and with innately creative ways of seeing our world. She is passionate about everyone having access to this aspect of the human experience, one which she sees as being so often neglected.
As we go through life, we knock off parts of ourselves. Ignored by our PE teacher? “I’m not sporty”. Don’t organise the way our friends do? “I’m scatty”. Our talents don’t align with the school curriculum? “I’m not clever”.
Now, many of us notice ourselves claiming back these identities. I’m so satisfied when I see this with my clients: one sticks to her daily walking routine and claims back “I am disciplined”; another launches a newsletter and recognises “I am a writer”. Vegan cookbooks have helped me claim “I am a whizz in the kitchen”, Five Rhythms classes have helped me realise “I am a dancer”, meditation teachers have guided me to find “I am peaceful”.
Many of us, like Sarah, have the resources and the generosity to offer others the space to experience different versions of themselves. What might you like to claim? And what might you be able to help others claim?
The World Needs Your Passion, So…
1) Make two lists: Firstly, who you think you are. Secondly, who you think you are not.
2) How might you give yourself a different experience, whereby you claim a part of yourself that has lain dormant?
3) How might you give others a different experience so that they can ‘try on’ an unclaimed aspect of themselves?
4) Found this blog post helpful? Irritating? Challenging? Inspirational? As ever, let us know by leaving a comment….
© Corrina Gordon-Barnes, 2009
** Want An Experience Like Mine? **
Sarah is running her workshop again on 1st & 2nd October 2009. 10am – 5pm, Twickenham, London (20 minutes by train from Central London) Two-day workshop: £100 (£80 concessions) Contact Sarah: makingspace@sarahpreece.net, 07891 662 227
Thank you so much for this Corrina. Extremely helpful and insightful article. You’re absolutely right. We need to re-define ourselves positively instead of sticking to the stereotypes (self and other imposed) of ourselves.
We might also benefit by applying the same logic to others – giving them space to be who they are. No more pigeon-holes!
Best wishes and thanks again,
Rache
.-= Racheblue´s last blog ..Summer Climate Camp Is Coming! Are You? =-.
Another wonderful piece which I can definitely identify with! All too often we put ourself in boxes of I am this, I am not that and limit ourselves as a result! I am most definitely going to do the task of making the list of things I think I am and the things I am not!
Wonderful Corrina, you continue to inspire me and encourage me to stretch my mind! x
I found this post inspiring and moving. I like the way you say “try on” an unclaimed aspect. It’s like nothing’s set in stone, we’re just going to try it on.
Also your description of having paint splattered…when we try on new things it is often messy in the beginning and this can be part of the fun. To try on…to not have to be perfect…very freeing.
Best wishes,
Janice x
.-= Janice Robertson´s last blog ..5 Effective strategies to help you to stay fit and lose weight =-.
I run art and yoga holidays in the south of France. Quite a few of my guests are on their first holiday ‘for themselves’having brought up children, divorced, too busy. They are often suprised by the warmth with the company of fellow solo travellers, the shared experiences of life and their creative output in the week.It is inspiring to see people blossom and develop artistic skills that they did not know they had. As the week goes on I find ‘artists’ in the studio at all hours making time and space to free up their creative side.This along with the yoga leaves guests walking taller,proud and with a determination to continue with their art once back home.
.-= karen´s last undefined ..If you register your site for free at =-.
This is a fabulous blog. Thank you so much for writing it. You’ve really made me think about myself and in particular making more time to be the me that I want to be. Thank you so much.
This is one of the problems with personality typing. I am structured therefore I cannot be spontaneous, I am extrovert therefore I cannot be introvert. And it’s fun to play with our ‘shadow sides’ and see what shows up.
Rosalyn
.-= Rosalyn´s last blog ..Why self confidence? =-.
@Racheblue – Great to see your link to the Climate Camp video and I smiled to see Ben P. speaking (he and I were together two of the founding members of Transition Cambridge). I think your point is so important when it comes to the area of environmental action – that we don’t pigeon-hole certain people as eco-demons and others as eco-angels but instead that we allow each individual to self-define and move and change, as new situations arise. Thanks for your comment.
@Laura – Yes, ouch, those boxes are small and limiting! Stretching sounds much more pleasurable! Do share your lists with me/us if you feel so inspired, or let us know what the process of doing that revealed to you.
@Janice – Yes ‘trying it on’ is one of my favourite phrases – we’re not committing, we’re not letting go of any safety or any certainties – we’re just dipping our toes, having a swim. Then it becomes fun and experimental, not terrifyingly identity-challenging. And ah yes for paint splatters! Just back from Munich where I got totally soaked dancing in a street fountain, very liberating indeed.
@Karen – Love the sound of your holidays – do post a link as I’m sure others would love the opportunity to go and ‘blossom’ somewhere! Having a space that provides others with time and space to try on new aspects of themselves is such a gift, thank you for offering that to the world.
@Chrisanthi – My absolute pleasure – thank you for reading and for commenting. I’m curious to hear more about the you that you want to be….
@Rosalyn – I remember being a teenager and reading that a Gemini was ‘meant’ to be little, pixie-like, burn energy fast. I was chubby and certainly didn’t feel anything like that! As I grew into myself, I noticed that I became more like this ‘type’ – physically, energetically; it was kind of bizarre. I know it can sometimes be refreshing for people to hear themselves reflected in a ‘type’ – “Ah, so THAT’S why I prefer this kind of environment” etc. And yes, if it means we rule out whole experiences and aspects of ourselves, it’s more of a limitation than a help.
.-= Corrina´s last blog ..I Am This, I Am Not That =-.