From Silence to Serendipity
Posted by Moira Fratantuono on Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Indians are a very communally-oriented people (yes, this is not earth-shattering news). This is immediately visible in the prevelance of extended families, the terms of reverence and specific names for each person which imply varying levels of respect, and, as I wrote about recently, their ingratiating hospitality. Another fine example that I was not anticipating, is the desire for one to not be alone. All meals at Sanskriti are served in the dining area, and so, although I speak almost none of the language, I've shared my meal with tons of different people stopping through the Kendra. At times when I am alone, a staff person will gesture me to a table with people, so that I have no choice to join them. In the process, I've made peace with 'the uncomfortable silence' that I am personally terrified of, and that I think most Americans try to avoid. Enduring these silences is almost always rewarding - we are sharing a moment together, and the exchange becomes much deeper, as we get more familiar with each other. Rather than viewing them as an injunction of incompatibility, inability for banter, or need to move on, Indians seem to view this as a natural and comfortable pause (sometimes for a few minutes), and then conversation will continue.
Appreciating the 'uncomfortable silence' has become more than just a part of conversations - it's also a way of being open to what opportunities might present themselves, if I'm patient enough to persevere through times of inaction. An example: before arriving at Sanskriti, I spent months researching and contacting several organizations, but had marginal success in solidifying community partners with whom to facilitate projects. The meetings I had set up were delayed shortly before they were scheduled. When I arrived here a week ago, I had only one arts gig lined up - teaching an introductory painting class with an organization (Manzil) on Thursday afternoons. They are a small youth empowerment and learning center working with lower-class youth whose parents are in the service industry. My students are enthusiastic and energized, and I am happy to be working with them, but I my intent was to have several small projects to work on or one large-scale project. So, resolute to experience Delhi and find my way, I decided to come to Sanskriti, in the hopes that things would work out.
As sweet serendipity would have it, two days after I arrived, a three-day long workshop on traditional forms of storytelling in India was held at Sanskriti. The facilitators and the featured artists stayed here for the duration, and I shared many meals with them. In the process, they invited me to attend closed workshops, get a private tour of their artworks, and connected me to individuals and organizations that I may be able to work with. Several of the attendees are doing community-based art, and I now have a meeting set up for this afternoon, an invitation to present to an arts organization this weekend, another photographer to explore the city with, and possibly an organization interested in facilitating a mural project. I can't imagine how I would have made so many connections to the people I'd like to work with in so short a time! I don't expect all of these opportunities to come to fruition, especially in the short time I have left in Delhi (2 weeks), but I am now viewing this trip primarily as an opportunity for research, in the hopes of developing a larger project to pursue in the future (which was also one of my goals for this time).
As I pass the uncomfortable silences of inactivity here, I have been exploring various parts of Delhi, which has been its own adventure and manifestation of serendipity.
This man was one of my favorite artists - his family has been creating leather puppets and performing for centuries. The tradition has been passed down for generations, and some of his puppets are over 500 years old. He is deeply passionate about his craft, but has made the difficult decision not to pass it on to his own sons. Instead, the son I met will join the Indian army next month, because this trade is no longer lucrative enough in the modern era.
Appreciating the 'uncomfortable silence' has become more than just a part of conversations - it's also a way of being open to what opportunities might present themselves, if I'm patient enough to persevere through times of inaction. An example: before arriving at Sanskriti, I spent months researching and contacting several organizations, but had marginal success in solidifying community partners with whom to facilitate projects. The meetings I had set up were delayed shortly before they were scheduled. When I arrived here a week ago, I had only one arts gig lined up - teaching an introductory painting class with an organization (Manzil) on Thursday afternoons. They are a small youth empowerment and learning center working with lower-class youth whose parents are in the service industry. My students are enthusiastic and energized, and I am happy to be working with them, but I my intent was to have several small projects to work on or one large-scale project. So, resolute to experience Delhi and find my way, I decided to come to Sanskriti, in the hopes that things would work out.
As sweet serendipity would have it, two days after I arrived, a three-day long workshop on traditional forms of storytelling in India was held at Sanskriti. The facilitators and the featured artists stayed here for the duration, and I shared many meals with them. In the process, they invited me to attend closed workshops, get a private tour of their artworks, and connected me to individuals and organizations that I may be able to work with. Several of the attendees are doing community-based art, and I now have a meeting set up for this afternoon, an invitation to present to an arts organization this weekend, another photographer to explore the city with, and possibly an organization interested in facilitating a mural project. I can't imagine how I would have made so many connections to the people I'd like to work with in so short a time! I don't expect all of these opportunities to come to fruition, especially in the short time I have left in Delhi (2 weeks), but I am now viewing this trip primarily as an opportunity for research, in the hopes of developing a larger project to pursue in the future (which was also one of my goals for this time).
As I pass the uncomfortable silences of inactivity here, I have been exploring various parts of Delhi, which has been its own adventure and manifestation of serendipity.
This man was one of my favorite artists - his family has been creating leather puppets and performing for centuries. The tradition has been passed down for generations, and some of his puppets are over 500 years old. He is deeply passionate about his craft, but has made the difficult decision not to pass it on to his own sons. Instead, the son I met will join the Indian army next month, because this trade is no longer lucrative enough in the modern era.
