Conference Proceedings 2010 [pdf] - Art & Design Symposium ...

field for community building. This still point, arrived at in the context of the group is the nexus/interface with the
‘still point” in the aesthetic experience.
The book describes four basic psychological stages that form a cohesive group:
1. Pseudo-community
2. Chaos
3. Emptiness
4. Community
1. Pseudo-community is the dynamic that exists when people in the group first meet, are polite,
somewhat guarded, and relate to one another, each from their own social mask.
2. Chaos is the conflict stage, which develops after people lose patience, get annoyed and drop
their social mask revealing their dark side.
3. Emptiness is the stage that concerns us most and occurs when participants have exhausted
themselves in unsuccessfully trying to "fix" or change each other. It is a moment of surrender to
the chaos and disappointment in what is happening in the group. This moment of surrender is
also acceptance of the truth of the experience. This acceptance, surrender, is an emptying of all
expectations, desires and requirement for a specific outcome. This “emptiness” is the still point,
the open field, where people begin to speak their truth, having little to hide anymore.
4. Community: from honest communication to communion to community—manifesting a palpable
community spirit in which people appreciate the process, themselves and each other.
Community building is to the collective what spiritual practice is to the individual.
Community cannot take root in a divided life. Long before community assumes external shape
and form, it must be present as a seed in the undivided self: only as we are in communion with
ourselves can we find community with others. Community is an outward and visible sign of an
inward and invisible grace, the flowing of personal identity and integrity into the world of
relationships.
-Parker P. Palmer, The Courage to Teach
Authentic community, once achieved, allows easy dialogue and harmony in collective action.
Drawing on my work experience in interpersonal dynamics and process arts I present my artwork in
conjunction with Community Building/Circles of Engagement, a safe, respectful environment for honest
communication beyond social masks to explore:
1. the role of feelings and emotions in personal/political life,
2. the how of interaction, and
3. the connection between art and personal/political transformation.
It is my belief that the way in which we interact with one another in the work we do is as important as what we
do. I consider process a political act moving us into a new model that heals the split between means/ends,
mind/body, being/doing, I/thou. My audience is the general public and everyone who yearns to be present and
real. When I show my images and poems, Childescapes, the ensuing group experience reveals a vast hunger
for meaning, purpose and community. The care and attention to how we are with one another is what will
ultimately sustain and guide us in our work and models the world we want to create.
KIDS’ GUERNICA exemplifies all aspects of the aesthetic experience and the community-building process
both for the children and the adults working with them. It is both a flowering of all the ideas in this paper and a
perfect opportunity for art and community building to come together in the spirit that I have described,
nourishing each other. The children, only too familiar with the shadow side of humanity, reach deep within
themselves to collectively envision and manifest a better world through their peace murals. KIDS’ GUERNICA
is a calling (“Beauty is a calling.” —John O’Donahue) heard by a growing world community to reach across the
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