A moment of creation revealed
Rebecca Solnit (2004), in Hope in the Dark, describes a moment of creation as that moment in which creativity, democracy, and justice take one step forward. In many ways, these 48 hours provided us with a moment of creation for which we seek to extend, expand, and exploit toward even more fulfilling possibilities as a result of the event. In what way was Shantytown III a moment of creation for you? What are some ways forward such that our celebratory lunch finale is not where the experience ends?
posted by adam at
2:30 PM
3 Comments:
My moment of creation...was unexpected, unplanned, and unpredictable. Honestly, going into this experience I almost expected to be disappointed. I had such high hopes of what it would be like, what it would feel like, and what would come of it. I wanted numbers, to have the chance to impart our experiences over the past semester with, but very few attended. However, I don’t know if the kind of engagement we experienced could have been the same (or even possible) in a much larger group. It’s not the number of people we reach; it’s the depth at which we reach them. It’s not the amount of material we cover; it’s how critically we analyze and understand it.
As I sit down to reality, return from the highs and lows I/we experienced over the past 48 hours, I start to wonder what will come from this. If we have truly experience something will change the way we experience and interpret the future. When the “high” of this experience fades what are we left with? I’m left with a thirst, with a craving for more knowledge, more engagement. I can already feel myself getting restless and wanting to jump right back in…not necessarily into my cardboard box…but into an experience that will challenge me and bring about new unexpected, unplanned, and unpredictable moments of creation.
I’m ready to start a culture circle as we referenced it and I know others feel the same. The only obstacle that would stand in our way would be of our own making. How about we meet during Free Period on Tuesday 28th and discuss in more detail where we want to take this experience?
By
Maria, at 5:27 PM
Shantytown as a whole, was my moment of creation. It was my way of beginning the life I truly want to lead. It was my chance to be involved with something that has the possibility of educating many people in our community. Yes, I too wanted the numbers, but I feel so much more was gained by our small group.
This is what I want my life to be full of, to be able to spark changes that need to happen. I want to be a part of a group that makes changes (within our little community or around the world) and I think our culture circle is set out to do that. I also want to learn more about what needs to be changed. I don't want to just be told about something and not be educated about it - another factor our culture circle will include.
I'm ready for it, I'm ready to stop being the rock.
By
meghan, at 7:29 AM
My moment of creations continues to clarify itself as I reflect on the present-ness of the experience and connect it to the past. More than usual, I attempted “to be” in the experience, rather than worry about “future time” or concern myself with the relative minutiae of institutional life. Instead, I grappled and experimented with myself, attempting to see what might materialize. What happened was that I was led by a chorus of emergent voices to a deeper understanding of what is possible in the teaching and learning process. While a discordant harmony or two exists, these are easily overwhelmed by the energy of an unrelenting refrain of community and consciousness.
Although I have witnessed a moment of creation or two in my life, many of the other concepts we discuss have only existed theoretically for me—based on someone else’s experience. I now more fully understand the potential of community and the possibility of vulnerability when giving oneself to the process. I am beginning to feel the rush of the river—its echoing roar as it extends outward to some distant point ‘out there’, helping shape the landscape in its wake. Perhaps we are livng a third wave?
Solnit, along with developing the concept of a moment of creation, also recognizes that there is no need save the world. Instead, she urges that we take up a “politics of prefiguration”—that if our actions are peaceful, democratic, and just, then, in one small corner of the world, these things are already winning out. So, we can uncork the bottle and just make each day ‘new’ based on our politics. Within this renewed and politicized consciousness and action, I am also ready for the unexpected and unplanned.
The chorus continues…
By
adam, at 8:17 AM
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