The psychophysical in the Deepening Creative Practice with organisations programme.

“for there’s nothing right nor wrong but thinking makes it so”
From Hamlet by Shakespeare

Hamlet is saying that things are not inherently right nor wrong, instead, we give things meaning and/or make judgements about them, through our thinking. Perhaps this is about the quality of our thinking more than the actual thoughts.

The context we are living in is Covid-19 with societies in a state of high anxiety, and with people showing less willingness to explore and more rigidity of thought.

This leads to polarities in how different sections of society see things and less ability or desire to walk in each others’ shoes—a relative denial of the paradox, absurdity, uncertainty, mystery and ambiguity of the world. Others may have a manic response to the existential threat that we are facing – desperately grasping at things to do, in an effort to return to and protect ‘normality’.

Unless… we deliberately give ourselves a choice – allowing a space not to follow the herd automatically (or whichever section of the herd we’re in).

A pause… Eckhart Tolle uses a pause symbol in his book The Power of Now: §  which offers the opportunity to let yourself, your whole self, be in this moment – fully: §. Heightened awareness is about not going into a habitual response automatically, refusing the subconscious habit, whilst opening up the field and expanding your internal spaciousness. It is to make space for whatever you choose (and it might be to follow your herd… or not).

In the midst of a global pandemic – can we practice this conscious awareness – becoming peaceful warriors through the opening up of a responsive moment in the here-and-now – making us vulnerable and unpredictable, alert and engaged, playful and curious. Which could be a definition of a fertile ground for creativity. §

Deepening Creative Practice with organisations is a trans-disciplinary programme in 5 seasons, weaving together the arts and social sciences to broaden and deepen your creative potential (desperately needed in these extreme times) with a psychophysical component exploring the creative unconscious.

If you’re a concerned and creative citizen, freedom fighter, passionate learner, curious ecologist, bored out-of-the-box agent of life and wellbeing, artistic practitioner, artist-academic, and/or working artist, we invite you to join us in the next programme. §

Rachel Kelly
DCP Faculty; Consultant, Alexander Technique

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