(Re)framing an insomniatic exploration in thought and poetry

KSTEVENS14168.jpg

“Those who have achieved an understanding of reality can describe the wonder of things, but those who are ignorant of reality miss the essence of things. When he reaches this invisible fountain, he can express it in all forms in which both appearances and essences move and vibrate.  Hence, the forms are given the breath of life and move with their own rhythm.” –Weng Fang-kang

I have been trying to free myself, heal myself, from the boxes I have put myself in or the boxes I think I cannot achieve.  I have had to fight and surrender to the inner and outer critic that seeks to dig its teeth into my heart creating spaces of fear in nightmarish words:  Innovation and Invention.

Tonya Lockyer, Director and artist-advocate at Velocity Dance Center was deeply encouraging me in my work as a choreographic/movement artist.  She spoke with me about understanding my frame. (Another metaphor for me to delight in!: my body again.)  Framing my work.  Something choreographer Tere O’Connor has done inspirationally well.

When I read the above quote tonight in the book, Creativity and Taoism: A Study of Chinese Philosophy, Art , and Poetry (pg 223), I had a visceral ‘Aha’ moment.

It was 3 a.m. “Suddenly, within myself, I reached the dawn.” (pg 222)  I had to write.  The attempt at first felt constipated, but I knew the shout was in there.  Suddenly this awakening manifested in a choreographic word expression.  I do not write poetry.  But this is wild: I had just read this: “The mirror-like mind is not necessarily the product of gradual meditation; it can also be the product of a sudden awakening of the mind… As soon as the Zenist is enlightened, a poem, manifesting his experience, flows from his lips.” (pg 222)

I repeated it again at the bottom if it is too hard to follow my word-use-of-space.  (I placed it on the right where it is more innovative.  HA HA HA HA!!!)

Reframing

(re)MOVE

out of bent

(re)lease from boxes.

Back 

toward again 

the 

(re)TURN facing.

|Inner contains the outer|

Flow

(Un)bound

my flow 

is your flow

is / are / AM

The great free-flow interchange

No innovation in all 

(re)FORM!

Body not inventive at

the boundaries 

of

(FREE)                                                                                                                radical

 re: 

movement

of

the 

root

of

essence and BEING.

Reframing

(re)MOVE

out of bent

(re)lease from boxes.

Back

toward again

the

(re)TURN facing.

|Inner contains the outer|

Flow

(Un)bound

my flow

is your flow

is / are / AM

the great free-flow interchange.

No innovation in all

(re)FORM!

Body not inventive at

the boundaries

of

(FREE) radical

re:

movement

of

the

root

of

essence and BEING.

Karin Stevens Dance