Bracketing in & out
We were introduced to this concept of bracketing in and out on the first day and returned to it throughout the week. Something that I notice thus far about the procedures, is the language that accompanies them. Whilst bracketing in and out and likewise, accessing experiencing, are in themselves a procedure, they inform a way of being - with the space, relationally and with self. This language places clarity around ‘choices’ and gives these choices a more acute awareness and intention. These are a few words that aided my reflection in response to the process of bracketing in and out;
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'Notice. When we orient to the world [or this space] it’s full of judgment. Trying to slow that process down, notice, be mindful, everything you contribute to this space adds layers. Consider these layers the way you would consider the colours on the palate before placing them on the canvas' [Kowitz, Feb 13, 2017].
An example where I was conscious and aware of the process of bracketing in and out was on the Wednesday. It was during our invitation to create an inter subjective response [ISR] to the movement warm up conducted by Dolly.
The warmup itself began with checking in to self, caring for self, stretching out the parts that needed attention. Focusing on one part of the body to move/stretch but trying to move it in a different way. Moving through the space with your whole body before finding a partner and sharing your movement/dance. Connecting with a partner; fingertips, whole palm and eventually whole body throughout the space with the ensemble. Below I reflect on the resonance left with me post our warmup;
'There is something that is so richly different listening to someone with the dance of the body. We speak differently, energetically across different plains, it changes rapidly across such a short space of time, generating multiple layers of experience that is stored in body memory. The joy and energetic response post experiencing this interaction is always filled with a bubbling, touched sense that resonates when you move away from that experience. Also returning to the breath, the source that allows these experiences to melt deeper into my bones, stored knowledge, stored experience' [Kowitz, Feb 15, 2017].
This reflection brings me closer to understanding or embodying Geller's [2013] description of the inner receptive state which has been articulated as 'a complete openness to the client’s [or your companion] multidimensional internal world, including their bodily and verbal expression, as well as openness to their own bodily experience' [pp. 177]. Allowing for that kinesthetic awareness of the inner receptive state was easily felt in this exercise, I am interested to see how this manifests throughout the procedures in varying ways.
The invitation then, was to create a multimodal ISR of this experience using clay. This ISR was met by insecurity and a judgment with the medium. Working with any material [even the body in the previous exercise] can bring about thoughts that are unhelpful to the process. What will I make? How will I make it? What will it look like? How do I make something great? What is everyone else doing? Am I doing this right? These thoughts are often reinforced by statements. I’m not good at this. I can’t do this. You’re not an artist. You’ve never worked with clay before. You don’t even know what to do with it. These questions and statements or inner dialogue, that crop up prior to even sitting down with the materials, whilst quiet, can quickly become amplified and thus counterproductive when I am trying to engage with ‘accessing experiencing’ of the ISR and staying present to this ‘description’ of my experience.’ Thus, I noticed this reaction and engaged in a process of bracketing out. I bracketed out the preconceived judgement on product and bracketed in the spontaneity and curiosity of process. This curiosity meant that I could return to what was present. This emergent curiosity opened me up to the unknown or the ‘lesser known’ [Kowitz, Feb 15, 2017]. This way of working meant that, that which was not necessary quietened and the experiential form was amplified. I was able to allow the clay and the transitional quality and sensations describe the process I experienced in my body through movement. And it is here that I reflect on the process so far;
'These processes asks you to; slow down, to consider, to be mindful, to engage and commit, not to preempt, but to allow a description or another version of the known to emerge. This, I guess, provides scores - layers of information. These scores act as access points for further conversations/realisations/dialogue that are experienced in private reflection and in relation to another/others. This relationship [both with self and other] opens this portal to another relationship with the known - giving rise to these untold stories, new thoughts, new perspectives, new understandings and even little provocations that propel you off into a direction of further inquiry or intrigue' [Kowitz, Feb 16, 2017].
This, I now see is what has been described in the Miecat Glossary as a process of reflexivity, which is closely linked to emergence. It is a process of 'circular dialoguing with self (reflections) and others through time where it becomes possible to ‘reframe’ understandings and make choices on how to move forward based on understandings gained' [2016, p. 6].
