Back to blogging - writing as creative process

Back to blogging

So after - quite - the extensive break from this blog, I'm ready to dive right back in.

Since the beginning of December my whole life has been turned upside down, shaken, and then turned the right way back up (and then the Covid-19 pandemic's came along and the whole process has started again).

In terms of my dance practice and career, I have quit my old job in an arts educational organisation (in what I felt was partially the result of a build-up of denial and tension around the lack of practice I was doing), started two new teaching jobs (practice being the centre point of these), made and presented a choreographic work - successfully making four further successful applications for performances (now on hold due to Covid-19), alongside facilitating three guest workshops. So it's been an, at times tough, period of upheaval and busy-ness, with my career / life now circulating around practice.

Subconsciously due to this, I have been putting of the learning of the MA programme - a process I started in times of personal emotional / psychological turmoil.

But now it's time to pick-up where I left off.


Factors affecting writing


Only two years since the finish-point of my undergraduate degree, but writing is a whole lot harder than I've found it before. I believe there are a few of factors affecting this.

One is that at the moment I am in a period of self-doubt due to the major change in lifestyle / practice I have described above. Everything that I thought / felt when writing assignments before this point were carried out with a very different mindset. A mindset which had been carefully protected through the bubble of education, and no knowledge of how practice worked external to that confinement. Two years later - I've faced rejection and given rejection back. I've succeeded and failed. I've cheered and wept. I've hated dance. I've loved dance. Whilst these experiences have built up an honesty within myself, and in giving to others, it has also made me realise more than ever - I'm not always right - and this has hugely affected my life, practice, and now writing process - second guessing every sentence I write ("Does that really belong in the essay? Is that really what I think").

The second is Covid-19. The pandemic is consuming everyone and everything, ill from it or not. I myself have been laid-off from one job, and lost the entirety of my work as a zero-hour / self-employed worker until the new "normality" resumes. Although I'm keeping my practice going - teaching / facilitating / collaborating - via virtual means, it still has a huge affect on my writing. I can't choose the space I write in. I can't talk-in person to people and bounce ideas of them. I can't access books - my preferred way of reading / researching.

The third and most significant factor is the nature of the assignment. Undergraduate learning was a doddle compared to the beast of postgraduate learning. I'm finding the AOLs particularly difficult to plan and write because of the lack of direction (in no part a bad reflection of the delivery of teaching, but upon my reliance upon being mouth-fed learning in undergraduate study). Being able to choose your own focus is hugely exciting - but also scary.

So how am I going about tackling these arising issues? By seeing writing as what it is - a part of my practice and a creative process.

Writing as creative process  / what's helping

I've noticed distinct similarities particularly between my choreographic and writing practices.

When choreographing;

• I like to have multiple voices - some choreographers are dictatorial in there approach, many examples being in classical ballet (see Farjeon in Carter, 1998), yet I prefer to have many voices through the creative process, more similar to Wayne McGregor's way of working (in discussion with Max Richter here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV4CZCrs1Ew).
• I like to work quick, and cut the crap - when in the studio we dance and make a lot, and then make quick decisions over anything that's staying and not - there's no point wasting time on a futile expedition. If something is ridden off and we later think it might be useful, we can always bring it back then. 
• I make quickly and then return to revise.

When writing;

• I like to research deeply before embarking on writing - allowing the voices of others to inform and develop my writing.
• I write quickly, and cut the crap - taking a no-nonsense approach, if I find myself getting off topic I immediately discard what has been written and restart.
• I like to have a chunk of writing done - and then can return to revise, allowing me to see the bigger picture of the text before focusing on detail.

By seeing writing this way, it feels less foreign from the rest of my practice. I can then tackle the issues as stated as above in a way I feel more comfortable with (as I would within movement when issues arise).

I'm also finding others reflective writings really useful to read, instead of getting too bogged down in theoretical concepts and philosophies - particularly enjoying Stephen King's On Writing (2000). Having read a large amount of King's literary output, On Writing provides a masterclass in reflection on practice with King reflecting on what he wrote, and how this came about - i.e. how his dealings with alcoholism subconsciously came through in The Shining (1977), and how constructive criticism when writing for the sports section in the local newspaper took affect on all his writing since.

Bibliography

Carter, A. 1998. The Routledge Dance Studies Reader.
King, S. 2000. On Writing.

How do we become more seeing? (Gallagher, 2019) - ReGenerations 2019, Day 1

Where to start.....

What an intensely busy and enjoyable couple of weeks it has been since my last blog post. I have a list of posts I plan to write on what has been happening in my sphere of practice (e.g. Queering the Somatic: Interrupting the Narrative at Middlesex University, new creative process with collaborator Rosie Tong, and researching into views of the role of the performer within Thinking Through Dance (2013)) - however my blog posts over the next few days are going to focus on the current event I am attending.

I am delighted to be at One Dance UK's bi-annual African Diasporic dance conference ReGenerations, and have just returned to my accomodation after a full-on first day.

This time the event is being hosted at The Lowry, Salford (Manchester), after being held at the mac Centre in Edgbaston (Birmingham) previously, and gathers voices from across the arts sectors with a focus on the dance of the African Diaspora and the role of digital (?) within it. Instead of giving a dialogue and narrative / review of what's been going on, I'm instead going to give some of the questions which have been raised throughout this first day (either by presenters, delegates or myself) - and some of these will hopefully resonate with anyone reading. See below;

Digital Manipulation - All in the edit
Karen Gallagher MBE (Keynote Speaker Day 1)

•  Is there a need to rethink how dance is transmitted to audiences (in terms of access / artistically / qualitively) 
• How do we become more seeing?
•  Dance is a human act - yet we are constantly pushing it into conversations with technology
• Harry thought - Why haven't I yet met any one at this symposium who is a non-dance technological specialist? Does there need to be a push to further open the conversation to outside of the sector?
• How do we consume culture? And how do "the powers" dictate what is "good" or "worthy" culture?
• Work and practice should reflect self, and reflect other (coming from Gallagher's perspective of programming) 

Using the digital age to tell the human stories of dance
Gonzalo Preciado-Azanza and Dr Adesola Akinleye, and Louise Katerega

• Human connections - how does digital fit into this?
• How can we use technology to dance together? (in relation to Preciado-Azanza and Akinleye's work they are making in both Latvia and England simultaneously via digital spaces)
• What is the humanity of what we are making - how are we moving and living?
• Treating choreographic process as algorithm
• Harry thought - Katerega pointed out her use of Prezzi as a digital presentation style. I think the result was hugely effective. In the eventual final report from I wonder if there could be some way of echoing the network / layered approach to the presentation presented today (which made so much more sense than a PowerPoint. Prompted me to have thoughts of how I can present non-physical artefacts (i.e. written questionare), in a physical way.

Visibility and Representation on Screen
Ghislaine Boddington, and Susannah Simons

• How do we define digital, and digital in relation to dance and our practice? Boddington sees digital in her work as distribution.
• Issues with copyright - need for artists and organisations to look at potential directions of work at the beginning of process and make decisions over how the work will be affected by copyright (Harry thought - doesn't this destroy the notion of the creative process and not having preconcieved notions of eventual output?)
• Harry thought - In relation to Marquee TV, questions around who decides what is worthy to be programmed - linking back to Gallagher's thought at the beginning of the day over the "powers" within the sector)

The theory-practice divide? and testing literature.

From the skype session on Sunday evening around theories and frameworks, I took two main points / questions away for myself from the conversation, as follows: A) How does theory relate to practice (and specifically my practice) and B) Testing theories.

Let's start with tackling theory / practice relations. First and foremostly, within my practice I don't have a concious division between what is practice and what is theory, and in most cases don't think there is a value within seperating them.
 

Variations on a theme of "Wayfaring Stranger" at Norden Farm Centre for the Arts, April 2019. Image of Rosie Tong © Andrew Scotland

I don't think I ever made a concious choice to carry out my practice in this holistic manner (holistic is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as; Characterized by the belief that the parts of something are intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole) however instead think it has been embedded in my throughout my dance education. This way of teaching / learning was particularly evident during my time on the programme of my undergraduate degree - for example when we attended choreographic workshops, yes there would be a certain amount of sitting down and talking about choreographic theories and methadologies, however then we would get up and "do", having the chance to put into practice the theories we were exploring by embodying them ourselves. I have carried this sense of embodiment through from education into my practice, and due to this choose to collaborate with practitioners / artists who have a similar approach to the theory-practice non-divide. 

A clear recent example of this approach within my practice is a collaboration I undertook with musician Reuben Ard. Eventually entitled Variations on a theme of "Wayfaring Stranger",  the process was initiated by Reuben and I's exploration of the classical-period framework of theme and variations. Unlike Balanchine's famous work Themes and Variations (1947) which used the framework purely as a vessel to "evoke that great period in classical dancing when Russian ballet flourished with the aid of Tschaikovsky’s music" (Balanchine, https://www.nycballet.com/ballets/t/theme-and-variations.aspx), we instead put the form at the centre of the work and looked at how we could move (instead of musically play) themes and variations. Through this (and without even conciously realising) we were questioning a theory of our own making (how could we embody the musical framework of theme and variations), through doing (practically moving and engaging with Reuben), and producing an outcome of theoretical exploration of the framework (i.e. the resulting work). As you can see through this example, I didn't start envisaging an indepth practice-as-research project, yet it naturally turned out to be one.

Moving onto the second point of testing theories.

This is just a small self-reminder to myself that I don't have to agree with every theory / framework I come across and always to test the validity of the literature in question. This comes after my citing and writing on Arnold's journal article on the role of the dancer (https://harryfulleylovemappblog.blogspot.com/2019/10/30092019-skype-thoughts-on-career.html). After reading Arnold's frankly limited view of the role of the dancer, I later realised through research that although Arnold clearly has very strong views as a theorician he isn't an experienced dance specialist in any terms (however through his academic positioning is able to share his opinion as he likes). I've also realised that it is ok to agree with some of what someone says but not all of it. Take for example Moon's work on approach to learning (2004) - Moon states the well-researched two-ways of approaching learning as surface (superficial) and deep (knowledge-earning), yet I much prefer Corazza's way of "long-learning/thinking" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=392&v=bEusrD8g-dM).

Find more on Reuben's work here: https://www.reubenard.com/

Goals

Having quite the reading experience today, delving into Cottrell's thoughts / provocations / frameworks on critical reflection (2011), and McAlpine et al. metacognitive model for reflection (1999). In the McAlpine, I'm just coming across the role of goals in practice and it's bought a load of questions to me.... thoughts to come as I continue reading and exploring, would really enjoy finding out more of any one elses thoughts on the role of goals in practice....

An update on my MAPP journey (pre-13/10/2019 skype)

Having had a very busy period over the past week, I'm taking the chance to today to "reflect on my reflections" and solidify the learning that I have done so far on the MAPP course.

As a learner I am starting to realise that although (as I was talking about in my last blog post) I am trying to see learning experiences as a whole, at this stage of the programme I am still finding methods of compartmentalision useful (whilst keeping the bigger picture in mind).

Entering into a wholly new way of thinking (reflective / experiential learning), I have found myself first of all trying to digest some of the key pre-exisiting concepts, theories and work in this field. I started with reading a good chunk of Jennifer Moon's A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning (2004), followed by another good chunk of John Dewey's 1934 text based on his lectures Art as Experience, with these texts leading me to further research (both closely and less closely associated). For my way of learning, I find having at least some prior thinking / theories digested early on in the process make the learning experience much richer when moving forward (as I then automatically have something to relate any initial thoughts I have to).

I have found that my process when reading these texts is quite different to when I have read literature previously, and instead of just taking the words and phrases at face-value or analysing them based on the topic they are specifically focused on, I am trying to unpick them according to my practice - and then apply them to my current thought process to provoke new questions and ideas. By doing this, I am finding meaning through texts which I wouldn't usually associate with applying to me and my practice.

Dewey's text has been particularly fruitful in me finding meaning. He discusses quite early on in the text how art theory cannot be dissacosiated with the experience of an art work itself. This has provoked quite a few thoughts for me. In my thinking I have taken Dewey's thoughts and positioned myself as the art theorist (in my case movement practitioner), and have started to question how the output / result of my practice is positioned in relation to enviroment and experience (politically / socially / historically).

The more I have thought of not dissacosiating my practice and its enviroment and experience, the more complex my thought gets in relation to the impact of each decision myself and others are making. One of the paths I have been down with this trail of thought is choreographic work I have been making - most of the time I delibaretely stay away from making work which is making a "statement" of sorts - however now I see I will always be making somekind of statement and positioning myself - even though to me I may think it insignificant / subconcious. Through this process of decoding and analysing my history and my practice's history, I have been able to find threads that I want to explore on a deeper level for the AOLs I am going to write. 

Moving forwards into starting to research, explore and plan AOL essays, I am now starting to look into formalised frameworks (i.e. Gibbs, 1988 and Kolb, 1984) and how these can help me delve into and structure my learning. I am looking to listening and discussing theories and fraemworks tomorrow!

30/09/2019 Skype Thoughts - On career / practice and role of emotion within my prior learning

Just before I start discussing about my thoughts on last nights (30/09/2019) module one skype discussion, I've just watched a scene on Brooklyn Nine-Nine where Detective Boyle talks of his preferred method experiential learning and decided to make it into a meme. Thought it was relatable.
 

For myself at this early stage within the learning process on the MAPP course, there were two points within the skype discussion that I particularly valued and want to explore within this post.

The first was approaching the Area of Learning essays and identifying what areas the areas of learning I have specifically engaged with in my practice. As Helen and Adesola stated, Areas of Learning shouldn't simply be a job title - which is how I was encountering the subject of the essays previously - but should instead be learning processes within significant points / events within the practice which has / is happening.

As a practitioner, if asked what my area of practice is, I automatically would state that I am a portfolio careerist - however straight away within that statement I am talking about a career not a practice. If asked to break it down further, I would state that my practice consists primarily of performing, choreographing and facilitating.

Looking at this as I write it down, I realise that I am completely pigeon hole-ing myself into career / job titles further. Take the practice I do as a "performer". Unlike what Arnold (2000) states, (and what many traditionalist *old-fashioned* views coincide with) I do not simply learn movement material efficiently, make it match the aesthetic quality that the choreographer desires, and occasionally be pro-active within my original / creative thinking for the purposes. If this is what is viewed as a performer then A) I certainly don't act like one, and B) definitely wouldn't want to. My practice within a performance / performer - choreographer context is a creative, collaborative, two-way interfacing one, and one which by the looks of it I need to unpick much further.  It's also interesting for me, when looking back just 10 years ago when I was in vocational training, I would have agreed with Arnold's views on what role "the dance" plays within the "art of dance". I think this could definitely be something I could explore further with my AOL's, and my learning process from a very didactic view of the performer - choreographer process, to a much more conversational / collaborative one.

The second point raised within the  skype discussion last night was by Charlene (sorry if I've spelt your name wrong!), around the factor of emotion within learning. As I stated last night, I've previously noticed within my choreographic work that I tend to completely avoid emotion within creative process (although feelings may be taken / given by the performer and audience, during the out coming product), yet I've never really thought about the role of emotion within my own learning and practice.

As I read and digest Moon's (2004) thoughts on the role of emotion within learning, and the role it plays within the internal, external and assimilation of it, I once again realise that my prior vocational training directly contradicts what is said. At school, when we went into class in the morning, emotions outside that of the specific learning environment were ordered to be deliberately ceased ("leave your issues and problems at the door") - which I now realise was not conducive to my learning at all, and if anything stagnated it by not allowing me to bring anything to the (metaphorical) table. Again - now that I've noticed this gap within the knowledge of my own learning, I need to dissect and pay much more attention to it moving forwards.

Bibliography
Moon, Jennifer A. 2014. A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning. London:RoutledgeFalmer
Arnold, Peter J. 2000. Aspects of the Dancer's Role in the Art of Dance. Journal of Aesthetic Education. Champaign Vol. 34, Iss. 1
 
Please note that I intentionally refer to my vocational learning experiences as "training" (a word I usually detest in relation to most learning experiences I've encountered).
Also interesting to note that Arnold has no practice within the dance field, however feels free to comment and decide what a dancer is.

Forced thinking outside of the box?

Having gone through quite a tough period recently, both in terms of personal life and within my practice, the video that Helen has passed on of Giovanni Corazza's TEDxRoma talk on Creative Thinking and "how to get out of the box" has hit quite a few issues on the head that I've been encountering.

When Corazza states "Why should we go out of the box", he answers purely with answers around reasons for personal development, and how humans (and us as practitioners), cannot truly develop without doing so (2014). However my response to this (rhetorical) question that is proposed would take it one step further - and that within my practice I often find myself in situations where if I didn't think outside the box, there simply could be no continuation of process. A really clear example of this this happened just this weekend (yesterday) when I was due to take one of my choreographic works to a festival, and two (of the five) performers decided to pull out with only three days notice. From there without drastic creative reparations and thinking outside of the box (we decided to present a "live creative process" instead of perform the work) we wouldn't have been able to attend the event at all.

In the instance just described I was so embedded within the situation that I could only think of the "outside of the box" process of it as being quite a negative thing - however having listened to Corraza's view I'm now realising that I can turn this, and other similar situations, into positive experiences, as succh thinking of "outside of the box" not only as being a thing of bravery (in the ways I have previously encountered the expression) but also a place of learning experience and growth.

I also enjoy Corazza's thoughts around thinking. He states as follows, "Normally we talk about brilliant thinking, fast thinking, deep thinking, but he're we're talking about... deep thinking" (2014). In my current state of overwhelmedness (out of the box word creating *wink*), this is very useful to hear and digest. In this early stage of studying and learning on the MAPP programme, I have been picking apart theories and reading through the module handbooks, with each section completely seperate in my brain - almost compartmentalising without realising - and this I see now is probably a key factor in why I'm feeling overwhelmed. By listening to Corazza's encouragements of seeing the whole and not the individual (I adore the analogy of how you wouldn't listen to a single note / instrument within an orchestra), I believe I can develop the veiwing of my practice as a learning process - and therefore be able to take more meaning from it.

To see the full video of Corazzo on Creative Thinking click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=392&v=bEusrD8g-dM