SLOW PRACTICES IN ART AND RESEARCH: WAITING, OBSERVING, REFLECTING: ELENA MARCHEVSKA & RACHEL EPP BULLER

The readings for this workshop were about how we practice reading in a way that allows us to truly take in the material we are reading. Often times in academic settings it is expected to read a lot of material in a short time. This leads to fast reading - skimming, taking in the words quickly, and not fully paying attention to the impacts of the words. The readings on this workshop were about how we create a different environment for reading.

I really loved the piece about Disability Justice and how chronic illness necessitate a different way of moving through time and space. Perhaps those impacted by chronic illness can teach us the ways to be more slow, more mindful, more attuned to our bodies. Instead of society outcasting them and labeling them as not normal, perhaps there is deep wisdom there for our society to learn from.

This is something that affects me because I am a slow learner and I think that philosophy is rooted in meditation and contemplative practices. Often times, the expectations on students is unrealistic - systems want us to produce work but don’t create supportive environments for us to develop work in a way that is connected to our body wisdom - meaning our own pacing and timing in developing material.