What feelings and sensations arise during the act of being witnessed fully by another, or in witnessing another being?

What energies, narratives and norms are present in each moment of witnessing that impact the affect and connection we feel towards one another?

What does the act of witnessing look and feel like when it’s based in consent, reciprocity, non judgement and openness?

How can we intentionally use witnessing as a tool of understanding and healing?

This ongoing project (formerly titled “the Poetics and Politics of Witnessing”) explores these questions as they apply to both my personal understanding of Self, boundaries, trust & vulnerability, and my critical exploration of ‘Self’ & ‘Other’ dynamics that influence how I show up in the world. I apply to this exploration my evolving understanding of the legacy of colonisation, capitalism, spiritual ecology, animism, and ancestral connection.

This project assumes the perspective that all beings are actors in the co-creation of meaning, and that each moment of witnessing is situated within wider social and historical roots. This project requires of me a sensory, embodied presence whereby tensions or patterns in the body/mind may be revealed and greeted with compassion & curiosity, softening a bit, and then a bit more, and a bit more…as my nervous system tolerance expands around dynamics of witnessing.

Follow me on instagram to see my ongoing exploration with this project, and keep an eye out for workshops & guides to invite you into your own inquiry of poetic witness!