Ritual: Finding Community with Meaning
( I took the above photo at a brewery in my college town and photoshopped the text onto it.)
Overflow is a ritual project inspired by Psalm 23:5 which states,
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
This ritual is something I created with the hopes of turning into a 100 day project. I was inspired by Baljinder Kaur's instagram account which was shown to us at the Buildabridge residency. Additionally, I have been motivated by countless similar projects where people post inspiring images on social media through calligraphy, photography, illustration and/or poetry. In the spirit of having a cup that overflows, Overflow will feature a mug and a short poem that describes something that the mug reminds me to be thankful for or perhaps something I am learning to love or be thankful for that will be posted to social media. I will begin this project this fall because it is season where many people will be reaching for their mugs filled with piping hot coffee, tea , hot chocolate or cider.I can also use this season to generate the hashtag #thankfall. Additionally, I will invite anyone to share pictures of their mugs and poems of how they are thankful or perhaps what they are learning to love or be thankful for. This ritual can be used with children or adults. I think it would be very symbolic to mold mugs with children and then have them write a poem about the mug. It would also be fun to go to random garage sales and thrift stores with children to find mugs and create a poem from those mugs. I think that this project could produce many interesting collaborations with local ceramic artists as well, where perhaps I have a ceramic artist create a series of mugs and I write companion poems along with youth. I would like to culminate this ritual community building project with an art show where community members can come and buy mugs made by youth and/or local ceramic artists, sip local tea or coffee and youth can share their poems and raise money for youth arts projects.
Overflow is a ritual project inspired by Psalm 23:5 which states,
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
This ritual is something I created with the hopes of turning into a 100 day project. I was inspired by Baljinder Kaur's instagram account which was shown to us at the Buildabridge residency. Additionally, I have been motivated by countless similar projects where people post inspiring images on social media through calligraphy, photography, illustration and/or poetry. In the spirit of having a cup that overflows, Overflow will feature a mug and a short poem that describes something that the mug reminds me to be thankful for or perhaps something I am learning to love or be thankful for that will be posted to social media. I will begin this project this fall because it is season where many people will be reaching for their mugs filled with piping hot coffee, tea , hot chocolate or cider.I can also use this season to generate the hashtag #thankfall. Additionally, I will invite anyone to share pictures of their mugs and poems of how they are thankful or perhaps what they are learning to love or be thankful for. This ritual can be used with children or adults. I think it would be very symbolic to mold mugs with children and then have them write a poem about the mug. It would also be fun to go to random garage sales and thrift stores with children to find mugs and create a poem from those mugs. I think that this project could produce many interesting collaborations with local ceramic artists as well, where perhaps I have a ceramic artist create a series of mugs and I write companion poems along with youth. I would like to culminate this ritual community building project with an art show where community members can come and buy mugs made by youth and/or local ceramic artists, sip local tea or coffee and youth can share their poems and raise money for youth arts projects.
Above are three examples of how the Overflow project will begin. Between now and fall, I will decide whether I will be posting something daily or weekly and begin brainstorming potential collaborations and art show projects. I think it will be something where I am posting 2 personal poems weekly and one youth poem weekly. Once other people start creating their own poems, I will ask for their permission to feature them on social media as well. Below is the text for the first poems and mugs that the Overflow project will feature:
(Moscow Mule Mug/Gold Mug)
Thankful for this golden skin,
it shields my broken bones
and makes my heart glimmer.
(Flower/Leaf Mug)
Thankful for this flowering tree
growing in my lungs
each breath is a blossom.
(Green Peace Sign Mug)
Thankful to pass the peace to you.
Mold it within you and give it away
to an uncomfortable tomorrow.
(Moscow Mule Mug/Gold Mug)
Thankful for this golden skin,
it shields my broken bones
and makes my heart glimmer.
(Flower/Leaf Mug)
Thankful for this flowering tree
growing in my lungs
each breath is a blossom.
(Green Peace Sign Mug)
Thankful to pass the peace to you.
Mold it within you and give it away
to an uncomfortable tomorrow.