For five days on the roof of the the Happy Hotel in Kathmandu, 25 women gathered to experience Expressive Arts practice as a healing pathway through pain. It didn't matter who was from where or what particular history of suffering anyone had, the Expressive Arts practice was an opportunity for all of us to experience a safe place to support one another into greater health and healing.
One core principle we agreed to as defined by the Nepali trainers was that empathy not sympathy would guide us in being with each other. Practicing empathy by listening, being present, and treating others as equals gives everyone their full dignity first as whole, beautiful, capable women. This is very different than sympathy. Sympathy in practice implies pity, status, assumptions or the idea that others do not possess the ability to take care of themselves. There are no rescuers, no fixers, no powerful ones coming to the aid of the weak here. We were all beautiful, strong, courageous women, doing what women are capable of doing. We are listening, caring about, supporting and strengthening each other into more personal freedom. And Our FREEDOM, becomes potential freedom for the world around us. Freedom from abuse, from enslavement and trafficking, freedom from harm to the earth, freedom for the oppressor from the heinous crimes that yet could be committed if women and men remain silent about what is happening now!
Expressive Arts practices gave us opportunity to each day be grounded in our embodied selves, in loving ways we can treat our bodies, and in loving words we can speak to ourselves about who we are. Expressive Arts practice gave us opportunity to give place outside of ourselves, to the hurtful, even horrible experiences of our lives. Expressive Arts practice gave us all opportunities to give voice and image to the impacts these experiences still have on us as we try and be in this world "weller" everyday. Expressive Arts practice meant also that we DANCED! and LAUGHED! and SANG! and CELEBRATED EVERYDAY! Because women Rise! Thank you Maya Angelo! Yes we do RISE!
Sharing Lovingkindness, receiving warm embrace from one another as we struggle through, and yes we Rise to laugh and dance and sing with every new day. We are determined to do so!
And I am thankful, thankful for this gathering, thankful for the moving through pain, the healing that came, the strength that grew amongst us and the lovingkindness forever now shared!
The black and white charcoal drawings are my responses, my drawings of witness to the painful stories. They are my aesthetic response to the suffering. It is important to deal with the suffering, less we dishonor the truth of the work. The photos are just some of the rejoicings! The celebration of new strength, resources, friendships, courage and freedom we gained in being with each other. May these be witness to all who see them, of what humanity can do when we focus on healing, health and life!
More stories to come,
Mary
