Embodiment
day one: keep it simple
When I envisioned Amber leading this embodiment portrait challenge, because who better, I didn’t consider how challenging it would be for me to participate.
From the moment I saw the morning prompt my stomach ached with anxiety.
The kind that says ‘honey, the fact that this is hard for you is why you need to do it’.
I thought of many different approaches to take. Lastly, I decided that if I’m really going to “keep it simple” as per the day one prompt, then I should simply capture my reluctance.
day two: in shadow
To be seen
To be seen
To be seen
To not look away
To not look away
To hold space
To hold space
To hold space
In the light
In the dark
In the shadow
And everywhere
In between.
day three: your hands
My hands,
Hold,
Care,
Create.
Come back,
When you need to,
I am here.
They are strong,
As they are soft.
Playful,
As they are steady.
A gift of home,
For you
My dear.
day four: take up space
Take
Up
Space
Fill
It
With
Light
day five: body love
You were once flat
And I showed you off,
Then swollen with new life
And we cleberated you.
Now you are somewhere in between
Soft,
Round,
With a love scar.
And I’m building a relationship,
With you,
To hold space,
For you,
Just the way you are.
day six: the feels
Around
And around
I spin
To feel
All the feels
I feel
Twirl
In the light
And the music
I hear
Your voice sings
To me
And spins me
Around
And around
day seven: celebrate
This was hard.
Harder than I thought.
This challenge,
All 7 days,
Was challenging.
No one forced me to participate,
I could have just not.
But not evolving,
Is more painful,
Than the discomfort of becoming.
But this is just a bunch of photos of yourself.
What’s the big deal?
Is it though?
It's about the act of being seen,
Seeing self,
Holding space in the in-between.
Wherever you are
And still
Celebrating.
the spoken word
I conceive these pieces with the beat of my heart,
then birth them with the fire of my voice.
i am ayla
born in the east, raised in the west
daughter of two academics, both artists
masters in human rights, committed to social justice
love affair with travel, art, and food
speaks four languages, laughs in all