The Gates
Each element is a gateway in a collective journey toward creating community.
At each gate is a question. Each question invites reflection. Together, these readings create the conditions for remembering, transforming, recognizing value, entering into relationship, and tending our communal home.
Mineral Gate
On Remembering ~ The Choice to be an Artist
Mineral ~ that which transmits memory.
“I choose to forget.
I let myself be remembered.”
“I can hear myself.”
- The question
- Why do we exist?
- We function as
- Echoes of memory.
- The desire
- to hear and speak the innermost truth
- The practice of P.L.A.Y.Y.
- PAUSE to forget and be remembered
Nature Gate
Ritual, Performance and Power ~ The Erotic Journey
Nature ~ that which fuels change.
“I choose to be lost.
I let myself be changed.”
“I can feel myself changing.”
- The question
- When do we come alive?
- We function as
- Guides to new worlds.
- The desire
- to change endlessly
- The practice of P.L.A.Y.Y.
- LEAN IN and be curious
Fire Gate
The Light We Carry ~ The Artist and the Marketplace
Fire ~ that which purifies and makes visible.
“I choose to see without judgment.
I let my world be created.”
“I can see myself.”
- The question
- Who are we?
- We function as
- Makers of value.
- The desire
- to express infinitely
- The practice of P.L.A.Y.Y.
- APPRECIATE and create value
Water Gate
Toward a Culture of Care ~ The Five Functions of the Black African Artist
Water ~ that which connects and integrates.
“I choose to let go.
I allow myself to be filled.”
“I can feel my connection to all life.”
- The question
- What do we offer?
- We function as
- Healers.
- The desire
- to connect deeply
- The practice of P.L.A.Y.Y.
- Say YES to letting go
Earth Gate
What Holds Us ~ Why Black Africanity Matters
Earth ~ that which holds and balances.
“I choose to accept and nurture what is arriving now.
I let myself be fed.”
“I can find my way home.”
- The question
- Where are we arriving now?
- We function as
- Holders of ritual space.
- The desire
- to be at home in the world
- The practice of P.L.A.Y.Y.
- Say YES to allowing
NATURE is that which moves as a shapeshifting guide through uncertainty, opening paths to change and transformation.
Ritual, Performance and Power ~ The Erotic Journey