I believe that the best way to present myself and my art to people is to just be me. I cross the practical t’s and dot the pragmatic i’s, however, the truest preparation I can have is to be open and honest. When I focus on the practice of details alone, I can get caught up in those details. When I balance myself with focus on the practice of presence, I can get the true benefit of exchange with others. Good thing I have something to share, things I write and books I publish. Consistent action is required to make the art, just like consistent action everyday helps to make a body, mind or life that can be considered a work of art.
This past weekend I staged two public readings for the Bushwick Open Studios tour. The first day I had almost no time to prepare beforehand. Of course I’d done some breathing and some voice work earlier in the week and maybe even the week before, but as the minutes ticked down on Saturday I felt completely at odds with myself. Do I read the new poems that I’m not so sure of? Do I read the old poems and bore some familiar faces? I needed just another ten minutes to figure it out but there were people, gathered and waiting. Those ten minutes weren’t happening.
So, I held onto my proverbial hat and did what I know I am trained and practiced to do. I let the moment tell me. And based on an idea that came to me a few days before I began to chant the simple sound of om. I made a sound that to me is simple, and calming, the sound that chases away so many distractions. If I could just do those properly and without fear, I knew, just knew, it would all be OK. And it was…OK.
One thing I know about choosing a path and finding purpose is that exchange is primary to process. I allow thoughts. I allow people and ideas, to influence and shape me. And in the experience of a reading where I am looking to dialogue with the people seated all around, on the stairs, along the floor and in the back by the door; is that my purpose and path place me exactly into the experiences that give a thousand times more than they could ever take. What does it take to turn your voice and make it into art? One thing I know is that it doesn’t take eloquence or lots of fancy words. It doesn’t take great cadence or beautiful line structure. Those things help, but if you sat in a room and uttered nothing more than om you’d be surprised how many people might hug and smile with you after. You might even get tears coming at you. In short, give something real, as simple as it might be and you’ll receive something simple and real in return. It works in performance and in readings and I promise you, it works in the big work of art we call life.
If you’d like to learn more about the Bushwick Open Studios that opened up this opportunity, go right ahead. And if you’d like to speak or find me on twitter, @MsPapic is where you can find me. Next I’ll be reading July 12th in Manhattan. Details soon. We’re going to Om right over Ustream if the tech-gods stay with us. ~love.
