Member | Forum | Blog | Email Us |

 

Marginal Center (Conflict Transformation & Peace Building)

 

VISION

 

What is Art? “GONG! !!!!”

Art is the outermost manifestation of the inner companioning and meeting and aura-ing the innermost being of the outer being brought forth in time
~ KK

Belonging to arts is having more impact than belonging to political parties
Change happens when one’s perception of “center” is not becoming universal while one’s perception of marginal is increasing
(where understanding of our inter-dependence increases; our assumptions de-constructed and our worldview re-invented)
Courage means you are dare to see those who dwell only in our peripheral vision?
~ Carrie MacLeod

Hello, KK
I like the idea of a "marginal center" - makes me think of decentering - the basic method of expressive arts - moving from the literal problem of an individual, group or community, and entering the alternative world of the imagination - where surprising things may happen!
I also think about liminality - the marginal condition in which an individual or a group gives up their usual identity and role and enters into a space of indetermination - the pre-condition for creativity (see Keats remark on "negative capability" - the poet's capacity to entertain conflicting ideas without trying to resolve them).
A marginal center is ec-centric (or ex-centric) - standing outside but firmly rooted in that no-place - as my friend Jack Well once put it: planting your feet firmly in nothingness.
So - can we "fall back" into that place? Usually we try to avoid it - not knowing brings anxiety, and that provokes us to find a way of defending against that feeling - sometimes by being really clever and coming up with a good answer - Winnicott said that when chaos enters into the analytic situation, the temptation of the analyst is to try to avoid the anxiety that comes with it by giving a good interpretation - but then nothing new can emerge. As Nietzsche said, "You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star." As long as the chaos can be contained within a frame that gives enough room to move, enough space to play...
Or as the French say, "reculer pour mieux sauter" - step back in order to jump forward.
Let's fall back into the marginal center and find our space for play!

~ Steve