Another image and word come to mind … a small crack in the wall and curiosity. I am reminded of a recent trip to the adobe home of Georgia O’Keefe in New Mexico USA where I find myself enclosed in a darkened recess of the building that joins a central courtyard to the outside …
Light filters into the darkened recess through narrow spaces in the combination timber wall and door. The ‘solid’ timber provides both a sense of enclosure and safety and I enjoy this feeling. But at the same time the smallest streams of light beckon. I am drawn to the light emanating from the spaces in the solid wall, curious to know what is on the other side. And when I get up very close, to look through just one of these spaces, I am rewarded with a spectacular view of the surrounding landscape and a wide horizon.
It is a view that I may have missed …
I reflect on this image in relation to dialogical practices. I reflect on the position of the therapist or professional as the expert or meta-observer, who feels no need to get close or curious in the belief that they understand the situation, the person, in front of them. Perhaps it is simply easier to feel safe in that enclosure with its illusion of certainty. And I reflect on the often solid positioning of the therapist or professional in meetings in relation to the ‘other’ of the patient, the family members or indeed other professionals. What can happen if a space is opened to get up close to the lived experience of the other, seeking to understand and ‘be with’ them, even if only for a moment. Perhaps a whole horizon of possibilities may be opened ...
Judith M Brown, October 2010 Image by HA.com
“Nobody sees a flower - really - it is so small it takes time - we haven’t time - and to see takes time … I decided that if I could paint that flower in a huge scale, you could not ignore its beauty.”