okay okay okay. . . so overwhelmed from today. . .

So many sites to summarize-

Talking with CJ about her new photos. . . Hearing her talk about the ideas changing from talking about our vices to the things we need to get by.

Seeing everyone oh and awww over Catlins rich drawings.

Talking with Ben, Melissa, and Catlin about Melissa's thesis project and her getting excited over the sense of permission to do the projects see wants to see. It was as simple as speaking it out loud.

Watching Ben and Melissa collaborating. Both of them feeling inspired by the election, the work they did on the campaign, and now in the wake of it all slightly lost and wondering on how to bring the conversation into their practices in the studio. Then watching them finding a way to explore thier thoughts by generating a list of questions about the language and ideas of the Obama campaign. They then interviewd various students and mentors. Seeing them be moved by students answers, struggling with answers from other mentors, having idealogical debates with David C. Then connecting outside those difficult disagreements through other art moments and project ideas. The entire time this was happening someone had put on MLK jr.'s speech from the march on Washington.

The interesting moments that followed after someone put the speech on, as slowly a little bit of quiet crept over the studio.

Watching CJ high congratulate Zoe with a high five about her freshly dyed hair.

The founder and director from Everett Dance Studio being in the studio videotaping as part of a PYAC visit.

And now, as I write this Jason is begining his salsa workshop, and as he put the music on the Amanda shouts out from the computers her excitment for the music playing in the other room.

discourse and dance

Talking about the studio, an art mentor mentioned that she loves the space, and I'm paraphrasing in my own language, because it operates as a microcosm of humanity. In particular, her point was that you can see the flirtation, the misunderstanding, the search for connection and the genuine desire to understand in the discourse and dance of any afternoon.

I suspect this is one of the reasons I love the studio, too. It reminds me not only of the process we all go through in learning how to navigate this terrain (for the first time), but also because it forces me to grasp that learning this process of negotiation is never complete. I understand the urgency and the hesitation; and I celebrate the thrill of the small breakthrough -- when a (long hoped for) conversation happens, when a new alliance is established, when a sense of disconnection is overcome.