As the preparation continues, I dive into
the challenge of being simultaneously succinct and clear. Inspiration is
endless and fleeting, but to bring a cohesive message to a wider audience is no
small task!
I traveled from India to the
US last week for a two-month artist residency based in Wilmington, DE with
opportunities to work with children and families in a hospital as well as
hundreds of students at the University of Delaware, connecting culture, social
justice issues and community through art. At the moment it is a daunting but
exciting task to integrate jet lag, reverse culture shock, adjustments to
climate, food, family, maintaining my organization's effort with a wonderful
team back home, all while refining this talk.
The perspective of travel is
so useful in reminding me of an incredible web of support I have woven across
the world, how the essence of who I am and my message remains true no matter
where I go, and somehow that karma is real — many years of extremely challenging
and isolated work in service of others, often with little or no financial gain,
has come back to me tenfold now in abundance in so many other ways.
 |
| #MySankalpa is I am #speaking from the #center. |
The fall of man is the
descent of the ladder from the dot to the circumference; the resurrection or
redemption of man is his return from the circumference to the
dot. —Manly P. Hall, Lectures on Ancient Philosophy
And so I find myself grounding
into my being, returning to my center, clarifying my purpose and ideas into a
sample of a larger message I know I am meant to share. Tracing the periphery of
a wider circle of the world is poignant as I return to roots in many places, to
see the most defined point in the middle of it all, which is the simple essence
of everything.
The beautiful irony is that I
am continuously given opportunities to embody my message in my life – to
maintain rituals which help me keep balance (such as daily mandala/image and
affirmation posts, journaling which I have been doing since childhood,
meditation), to breathe with awareness (which is how I open the talk), and to
remember that nature contains all the answers.
Rehearsing the talk, editing
my words, listening and seeing myself share them, is surreal as it gives me a
chance to step outside of myself and appreciate how far I have come. I see my
value, and I know that this helps me guide others to see theirs too.
Remembering my favorite TED
talk which embodies art for healing:
Tickets and more information on the TEDx Wilmington Women event, October 27, 2016.