What am I in Harmony with: isn’t this a question we can consistently ask ourselves? I recently asked myself related questions as I had the opportunity to co-facilitate a few music and art workshops with a dear friend around this topic. The general idea was to open ourselves to music that uplifts the spirit and to create an uplifting outlet through art.
In one of the workshops, when we taught them a song (which has only four lines), and asked them to take a moment and connect with the words of the song. People connected with such varied elements of the song. Just four lines and so many expressions already coming through! As the group learned the music and we sang it a few times, a large part of this exercise was learning to harmonize our voices with the others. Some were interested and deeply connecting to this experience, while it seemed others were a little more impatient and needing something more activating, more kinesthetic. However, we persisted in just allowing the creative process to take its own form, and by the art process, everyone was completely engaged and had opened up. Infact, we even got a chance to do our own art pieces!
There was a young participant who seemed very restless at first. He was tapping his feet and even began the art process by writing a lot of big bold words all over the page. When we tried to assist him, he said just wait till you see what comes through! Since he was successfully engaged in a process, we let him be. By the end of the session though, it seemed as though a weight was lifted from his mind and he seemed so much lighter and connected to the larger group. By just having an outlet for the state he was in, he seemed to have opened up to a greater reality. He was transformed.
At the end, we all created a story harmonizing our work as part of a bigger whole. It’s always fun to see how this approach of creativity allows such authentic expression. And not only does each person in the process benefit deeply, but the entire group does too. We all have this unique depth and individuality which can be brought forth through the creative process.
As we were tidying up at the end, it was fun to see how perfectly my friend’s painting became a part of mine! They joined together as two pieces to complete a whole!