Looking Back and Ahead

And the importance of improvisation

Tree and Rock Improvising

Hello,

If you’re receiving this email, you are a subscriber to either Seeing Clearly or A Letter from Kim Manley Ort or both. I’ve decided to combine the two on the Seeing Clearly site to make things a little easier all around. I think they work well together. I’ll send out my monthly letter (on what’s inspiring me lately) at the beginning of each month and a Seeing Clearly post mid-month. You can manage your subscription to only get one or the other or both.

This is the Seeing Clearly post for this month, a bit of a recap on how this project started and what I’ll do moving forward. Then, a little piece on the importance of improvisation and how it fits with Seeing Clearly.

Looking Back

I’ve been blogging and offering workshops since 2010 and self-published a book, Adventures in Seeing, in 2016. I focused mainly on developing contemplative habits and becoming more aware of your perceptions.

By 2020, everyone’s world was upended by the pandemic. There was a lot of stress and uncertainty. I witnessed how the proliferation of information and misinformation was leading to confusion and division among people. It brought to light many flaws in our societal systems. I personally wanted to see clearly what were truths and what were lies, what was constructive and what was destructive, and where there was systemic inequality. I wanted to be able to see beauty as well as brokenness, to experience joy and offer compassion. 

The Seeing Clearly Project on Substack was born from this time. It’s been almost four years since I launched this project. Believe it or not, I was one of the early adopters. Now, it seems that everyone has a Substack. I started with weekly posts on Seeing Clearly in 2021, then weekly posts on Seeing your Place in 2022. Over the last two years, I’ve been writing monthly essay on some of the major themes I identified. All are available in the archive.

After all this writing, I realize that none of us will ever truly be able to see clearly. That’s because we each have our own particular point of view based on where we are from and the experiences we’ve had. However, we can practice seeing more clearly through deep listening, discerning fact from fiction, and recognizing our own biases. 

I truly believe that there is great value in this practice and that it is needed now more than ever. We need people who can see more clearly and with empathy in order to address the crises we face.

Looking Ahead

There is a lot of unrest and uncertainty in the world right now. And, it seems as if people are more polarized than ever. At this point, I’m sitting in that space of not knowing exactly what’s needed from me yet. What I do know is that this space provides a wonderful outlet for all of the thoughts swirling in my brain and that I’ve found a like-minded and caring community here.

I’ve been following the threads of my attention since June. Last month, I went through the process with a small group (thanks Susan, Michelle, Timothy, Jules, and Norah). Personally, I’ve found this exercise to be extremely valuable. With some patience, and a good, hard look at where my attention goes, I’ve become a little clearer on the themes and patterns in my life. It’s also reinforced the fact that life is uncertain and many things happen by chance. When my husband hurt his leg, I had to pivot and care for him as well as doing many things that he normally does. When my body is reacting to what is happening in the world, I need to know how to take care of myself.

Life is about improvising and responding to the moment. It doesn’t mean you don’t have plans and goals, just that you have to be ready to adapt as needed. This is what I plan to do with this project, to follow my attention, to listen carefully, and write about what’s needed for this time, at least from my particular point of view.

The Art of Improvisation

When it comes to improvisation, the book, The Art of Is, by Stephen Nachmanovitch, is one of my all-time favourites. Nachmanovitch is a violinist who’s taught workshops all over the world. He’s a strong believer in play and improvisation as components of creativity. In this book, he shows how life is very much like musical improvisation.

“Improvising means coming prepared, but not being attached to the preparation. Everything flows into the creative act in progress. Come prepared, but be willing to accept interruptions and invitations. Trust that the product of your preparation is not your papers and plans, but yourself.”

One of the most important messages from the book is that the secret of improvising is being able to talk (play, express) and listen at the same time. When you think of improv comedy and improvisational music, this is what’s happening. The musicians are playing and at the same time listening and responding to the other musicians in real time. An improviser sees life as dynamic, always changing and evolving. Each moment is fresh and new, requiring a new response. Life works the same way.

To know what you should be doing, you need to listen to what’s needed in the moment.

Nachmanovitch says that being in this space of letting an experience unfold is critical, especially for something new to emerge. Being able to be still and listen, to allow space in our minds. I think that with everything happening in the world right now, we will need to improvise, to respond to each moment as it happens, just as the trees and rock do over many years in the image at the top.

Does any of this ring true for you? Where are you at and how will you improvise this year? Please share your thoughts in the comments. We all learn from each other. And, thank you for reading.