I’m trying to figure out what a good leadership metaphor would be for me. I actually hadn’t thought deeply about it before. It didn’t seem like there was one thing. As Walt Whitman said (“Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes”.) We have many aspects of ourselves. I’m not sure if those many aspects can always be clearly seen or untangled. Perhaps I drew from different sources when necessary but it’s true that perhaps it would be helpful to clarify how I do things to myself.
My way of leading, directing and researching projects has been like a cloud in the sky. I thought about the way I’ve constantly been inspired by water as well. During our last session, I said that perhaps my symbol of resilience were birds. Alessia asked what drew me to looking upwards. I didn’t understand what she meant until later. Water is and will always be an important symbol to me in many ways but its depths and its incredible energy also scare me. Water and clouds, to me, often seem unknowable, unbreakable, omnipotent, infallible. Yes, they are many things, not just these. This is deeply inspiring but I’m a bit tired of the artist archetype that depicts us as tireless, superhuman. I felt like that image was projected onto me in the past and it felt uncomfortable. We like to think of artists as a force. I’m much more attracted to the idea of moving forward in vulnerability, being fallible and fragile. There’s something powerful about that too.
Birds can be peculiar and unique. They fly and migrate but it takes significant effort to do so. They have cycles to their lives and live according to the seasons. Like every living thing, they strive and seek to play, nourish and communicate. Birds can sometimes depend on others in their flock for guidance. Their bodies can be so fragile and need to be handled with care. Their wings are grand and awe-inspiring when spread and are magnificent when in flight. When not in flight, they’re rushing forward with their little feet or peddling energetically under the water’s surface. Some birds also are also playful pranksters and love to sing.
I look upwards instead of down because, these days, the skies remind me of the beyond, ethereality, unknowability, hope, connection to the other side. The possibility of artmaking as floating rather than swimming.
