How to Breathe

by | Sep 27, 2016 | Artwork #1: Score, Projects

Take a piece of toilet paper

Grab a pen of any color

Write down any insecurities clouding your mind

Quickly review your work

Rip the paper into a million pieces

Throw the pieces into the wind

Can also be burned or flushed

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Inspired by Yoko Ono’s “Kite Piece III”, I wanted to create a scenario in which the subject is forced to disconnect with a negative piece of their persona that may be weighing them down.

In “Kite Piece III”, the audience is prompted to create kites made from photographs of themselves before calling others in to shoot the kites down. Although it’s not directly stated, I interpreted the piece in a sense that the reader must learn to let go of the things holding them down in order to move on; to be able to breathe.

By physically writing down any insecurities, the subject is able to collect their thoughts and place said doubts directly in front of them. I believe this step is important in order to fully realize your insecurities and to be able to let them go. For me, it was a very therapeutic exercise, as I tend to be a very self-conscious individual and am constantly weighing myself down with self-doubt. By following through this procedure, I feel as though I was able to put my mind at ease and to temporarily forget my worries. The physical detachment of the paper from my hand emphasized the action of “throwing away your negative thoughts”. I could’ve ended the piece by just having the subject walk away from the paper, however this wouldn’t have had the same effect.

In the beginning stages of this assignment, I would read through Yoko Ono’s works and try to relate them back to everyday situations that we deal with in our society. While many of these pieces were impossible to recreate in real-time, there was much insight and inspiration to be gained from them. Although this score did not mirror Ono’s work directly, I tried to recreate an interpretation of her work. While lack of confidence is something I personally deal with, it is also a problem that is widely seen within our society, and I thought it would be important to touch upon that subject. I wanted to create something that would not only be a mindful exercise for others, but also something that I could personally relate back to. In Ono’s piece, the subject is prompted  to ask others to shoot their kites down. In contrast, I believe it is more effective for the subject to “shoot down their own kites” in order to truly feel as though they are letting go, hence the last three lines of the score.

The final line of the score is to reiterate the fact that the subject is disconnecting from the negativity that was written down on the paper; the things that were once weighing the subject down. Once this step is completed, the subject is then able to take a step back and breathe.

In summary,  it’s important for people as individuals to let go of the things that are clouding their mind, whether it be through therapeutic exercises or other procedures. This score is merely a procedure to help with this process without exerting much time or effort.