An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments. Still amazing even if I forgot to publish this blog post draft from 2014!
From the Drafts: An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments
Category: creativity
Generosity and Making Space for Art
More from the drafts archive!
I went to college with a guy name Frank Konhaus. We both worked for the student workforce. One of our ongoing gigs was in the language lab, duplicating tapes for the language classes. It was dull, repetitive work. I could imitate the sound of the machines. What a skill. Frank could spin a good story and was always spanning across disciplines. We were both serious Joni Mitchell fans and he was generous with stories of being a helper in some of her recording sessions. That always blew me away. Later we worked on the tech crew that supported all the inhouse and road shows at Duke University where there were always adventures.
I was not surprised when years later he resurfaced in my social media stream with his project collaborating with his partner, Ellen Cassily: Cassilhaus, a space for art, architecture and community.
In their 2009 blog post they reflected on art and generosity. We need more of that. Take a read and enjoy. And check out their virtual artist exhibitions and events!
Every Village Needs a Clown
(Note: This is a resurrected draft from 2009. The language I used in the draft I now know is wrong… a particular term. So I am trying a new term: clown. Please read this in the voice of Nancy White of 20098. And know I still have a challenge describing both what I used to do, and figuring out what I’m going to do next…)
This morning I had coffee with two people I met online. I’m always struggling to describe what I do. At one moment today I started to say I was an clown savant around online stuff. But really, I’m more on the clown side than the savant. And proud of it.
You see, I think every village needs its clownt. The person who will ask the dumb question out loud, who will utter something half baked, who is not afraid to fall flat on their face, with enough sense of humor to get up again. Better yet, if they can get up with grace. I aspire to that grace.
Remember, the village clown has permission to say the emperor has no clothes, that the sky is falling or that the strawberries are ripe, right as they have the juice dripping down their chin. The clown is not just for amusement or entertainment, but for sensing things, for voicing the unspoken and trying out the slightly outrageous. They have permission because they are, well, idiots. They can be loved and forgiven, tolerated and cared for.
What a delightful role. I think I have found my niche. Now, however, I have to define what village means when one lives a life both online and offline. Hmmmm…..
Blogaversaries and Good Intentions
Was I the one who said I was going to blog weekly this year? Last post, March 19. But on my calendar popped up this notice…
2004 – 2021 is a pretty long run, so I’ll cut myself some slack. I mentioned to a friend yesterday I felt little motivation to write. She said sometimes you have to give your writing brain a break. So here it is, friends. Happy brain resting.
Singing our way in…
Back in 2006 I was a participant in a remarkable gathering called the Evolutionary Salon. It was an intense soup of ideas, feelings and energy. In these contexts a lot of that can overwhelm me. Luckily, I was not alone. Chris Corrigan and Kenoli Oleari and I were doing a little music jamming and a response to all that energy was born. We called it Euphoric Bullshit, a gentle jab at our own sense of self importance. Originally it was just for us, but our four fearless hosts decided it might help shift the energy on the third and final day.
Ashley Cooper (who, by the way has restarted her coaching practice if you are thinking about getting a coach), reminded me of all this with a link back to the debrief the PoP facilitators did. All of a sudden I vividly remember the moment (and almost the tune!)
I have always found that gentle humor, music, visual arts and dance can open up different channels of connection, communication and meaning making. So literally we can sing our way into better work together. (Speaking of singing, if you haven’t seen this, take a peek.) I need to make sure I keep weaving them in.
Digging around in an old thread in the Open Space email list, I found the lyrics. Um, impolite language warning… but know this was joyously and lovingly sung.
Euphoric Bullshit by Nancy White, Kenoli Oleari and Chris Corrigan and 90 amused muses
We come into the circle with our passions and resolve
We each have a lot of issues that we really want to solve
But we all start a talkin’, and things get out of hand
So take a little breath (breath) and settle down and we’ll ease into the planCHORUS:
Euphoric bullshit is the name of the game
We take the sacred and we make it profane
You can’t come in, unless you bear your pain
Euphoric bullshit is the name of the gameWe’re calling a lot of sessions, with various intents
Some get a little bit impatient as we sit upon the fence
But emergence growing edges will carry us all along
We are but one great voice in the universal songChorus
Instrumental breakNow the time has come for us to go out into the world
And throw our great intentions into the cosmic swirl
Hey you don’t need to worry that these things will come to pass
Because evolution’s arrow will kick you in the ass
Source: Re: open space poetry