Performing a Dream- On the Road to Finding Peace- Compassion Meditation
October 2024, SE
Portrait Series 3
“Performing a Dream”
Shakeema Ellis
New Jersey City University
ART 242-1 (2434)
Prof. Doris Cacoilo
October 20,2024
The performance I chose was Compassion Meditation and that is Compassion is defined as profound, genuine pity for individuals who are suffering, combined with a desire to help alleviate that suffering. I picked this method of meditation because I believe compassion is a sign of inner and exterior harmony, and once established, more can be accomplished. Marina Abramovic's creative practices inspired my decision to practice Compassion Meditation; that was most likely how she meditated, or so I thought. For example, here is a quote from the article, Being Marina Abramović, Even When No One’s Looking, “I love the regularity of a monastery: The monks wake up before sunrise, then they go to the toilet. Then they do the meditation. Then breakfast. Then they will do physical work”. She believed in a form of meditation because that is how she did her greatest work.
Marina Abramović's 700-hour sit-in at the MoMa was praised for its creativity and bravery. It's interesting to be able to sit and look into someone's eyes for seven hours a day because it fosters a great relationship with them. It was a connection because so many people came to sit with her, the majority of whom were emotional; it was simply another opportunity to enable someone express themselves without speaking. I suppose it can be another sort of therapy in its own right. So, my compassion meditation felt like a near approach to her sitting in a chair, staring into the eyes of everybody who sat with her.
I am finding myself feeling a lot better because I do my own form of meditation because I am learning how to find peace within myself. Here is another quote that helped inspire me to do this form of meditation for my Performing a Dream series: “I hate the studio. It’s a trap to me. Ideas come from life”, and this comes from the article, Being Marina Abramović, Even When No One’s Looking. I realized that ideas could come from anyplace, even nature and others. However, meditation is required for clear vision. For example, I'm becoming more self-aware, focused on academics, and learning new problem-solving techniques. Marina Abramovic was able to be creative because she was one with nature and herself, so I considered her and how creative she was and decided that doing a sort of meditation would be exactly something she might do.
Here is another quote that also influenced my performance, “
I go to India to an Ayurveda hospital, and I eat only the cleanest food for 21 days. I’ve done it every year for 30, 40 years”, and this comes from the article, Being Marina Abramović, Even When No One’s Looking. In my opinion, this is a form of meditation to keep her body free of toxins, because what we eat may sometimes impact how we feel, and everything is important when it comes to our body, mind, and soul. Meditation works, but many individuals practice it in different ways. You must first connect with yourself before you can connect with the world and everything that comes with it. Many artists are extremely creative because they connect with themselves and those around them.
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