Poetry and Sense of Place | Family Photos Writing Exercise


Faculty

George Zavala is a visual and theater artist with over nine years of experience working as a teaching artist in New York City schools and community youth programs. He studied philosophy and art at Catholic University of Puerto Rico and has worked as a teaching artist and staff developer for organizations such as City Lore, Elders Share the Arts, and Museo del Barrio. He was co-founder and artistic director of PAX Theater Company, a youth theater program, and has continued to work as a theater consultant for youth programs in the city. His visual art pieces have been shown at numerous galleries in New York.

Objectives

To introduce teachers to the practice of visualization as a pre-artmaking exercise. To personalize the theme of the institute.

George explains his objectives, "I use visualizations in the same way that writing instructors use prewriting activities–to evoke rich images, emotions, and ideas that can be used in art work. I use this exercise with both students and teachers and adapt it to the theme of the residency or the staff development workshop. For the Louisiana Voices Institute, we focused on a sense of place."

Lesson

I. Visualization Exercise

"After a breathing and stretching warm-up, I talk participants through the visualization. I tell them that we’re going to do a visualization, which is about imagination — creating a story in your mind. Close your eyes and breathe. Starting from where you are, see yourself on a giant screen. You see yourself lifting out of your seat and traveling. You are leaving and going to a special place that means something to you.

"You're taking a magic backpack with you to collect things from your journey. What color is the backpack? What is it made of? You're traveling through the air until you come to a place where you've been before, a place that means something to you. What is this place? Is it flat? Is it mountainous? Is it near water? Where is it? Is it cold? Rainy? Hot and muggy? Dry? What kind of foliage is around? What types of trees and plants do you see? What kind of structures are there? What are they made of?

"Put these things in your backpack. What sounds do you hear? What do you smell? Put these in your backpack. What feelings or memories does this place evoke? Walk around and describe the place. Walk through the scene until you see someone. Describe the person. What is the person wearing? What does he or she look like? What is that person's relationship to you? Does the person have something to say to you? Put this in your backpack. (It is important in doing a visualization to speak slowly and quietly to give participants time to think and create images in their minds.)

"During the visualization, I tell participants that whatever feelings they have are okay. If they think of a place that's uncomfortable, then I tell them to simply fly somewhere else; they never have to go anywhere they don't want to go.

"Then we do the same process backwards. They start flying again, see an aerial view of the place they visited, then they come back to their own seats. Then I count to three and tell them to take a deep breath and open their eyes."

II. Unpacking the Backpack

"When all open their eyes, I ask them how they feel and how they felt during the visualization. If some say it was difficult, I ask why. If it was easy, I ask them to tell me why was it easy.

"I then tell them to remember their magic backpack. I tell them to pretend they're taking it out and to put down the contents. They can draw or write down (in story form or list form) what they brought from their journey. I stress that spelling and penmanship and drawing skills are not important. I tell them that what is important is to put down ideas before you forget them. In this way, I introduce them to the brainstorming process.

"After all have put their visualizations on paper, we sit in a circle and share our visualizations journeys with the group. If you are pressed for time, divide participants into small groups or pairs so that each student can share his or her journey with at least one other person. Providing time to share the experience with someone else is important."

III. Collage Making

"Drawing on the memories and images from the visualization activity, participants make collages using a variety of materials that I set out for them on the table: fabrics in a variety of textures and patterns, a variety of papers, rice, dried beans, pipe cleaners, beads, feathers, wood shapes, and any natural materials available at the site (Spanish moss, bark, etc.). Telling stories about their collages deepens the artmaking."