But first, A poem...
Intensive
We changed the environment and set to learn.
How beautiful it is to attempt to put theory into practice?
Deep Mexican Architecture is heavy.
Dipped in solid gold.
Complex in every household.
Chaos in the corner.
Sunlight in the other.
Salmon Pink even underneath.
Purpose
Mine has been renewed.
Transmutation of energy occurs in multiple places.
Divine Exchange
When given freely,
Offers and sacrifices,
Come to a head and are released,
With the intention of peace.
Letting go of resistance to financial change.
Trusting this investment is of my highest self.
Collaboration & Calibration
We attract what we are.
Complex.
Reflections in others,
Show us our boundaries,
Illuminate projections to path
To growth!
-Steffi Holistica
Advancements
We lived and breathed Guadalajara for 2 weeks.
Interacted with architecture at every turn. We felt the most precious works of Luis Barragán as well as the common middle class vernacular. Mexico City was the icing on the cake. Design is life and that language speaks to local culture. Representation in design there echoes the the stressors of the world around it. Built of heavy concrete and many opaque walls, it's a fortress. Until modernists built glass clad skyscrapers, but not without the heaviness. I felt protected in the tallest tower and in the breezy courtyards on the street levels.
I learned that faith, feasibility, compassion, art and science all need each other. All equations formed, seek to feel into the abyss. like a hand reaching around in the dark. Only there will we discover texture, rushing rivers of sensorium, and ourselves.
I've picked up the building blocks to create the perfect furniture for our bodies and for social interactions. "By including the mind in our thinking about the body, we go beyond mere ergonomics (that is, the measuring of body parts) so that we can include educational and philosophical ideas about the body. Applied to design, body-consciousness means including ergonomic, psychological, and cultural perspectives all together." - Galen Cranz, my newest and most precious mentor.
I've been encouraged to review how I experience the world around me, Through the work of Dr. David Kirsh, I've come to realize that when I am more mindful of the atmosphere around me, that I am more open to aesthetic, without bias. I find that When I become mindful that I can actually feel and perceive the space around me. instead of simply moving through, preoccupied with my own thoughts and past experiences. When I'm mindful, I can actually feel the intention of the designers, architects, and staff/occupants. It's a powerful realization for me and this will definitely be reflected in my work. He has been "...exploring the basic question of how people adapt the environment to simplify cognitive tasks -- how they create structure in the world to complement the way they project structure, and how they develop interactive cognitive strategies to reduce the mental load they must support when performing a task." - Dr. David Kirsh, Professor/past chair of the Dept. of Cognitive Science/UCSD.
My Why
Intention: the gentle push propelling me forward
I want to activate and call the brain to utilize design and harness the powers hardwired in synapse exchange. Whether this statement goes over your head or not; I assure you, dear reader, that I don't have answers. I have cultivated the means to find them and I trust that my consultation services are rare and evidence-based.
Thoughts of the Future are often rooted in the past.
Mine is fueled by intuition and blessings. The boundaries occur only in our minds. Collaboration, porous psyches, and a little chaos, open the doors and propels us through the corridors of space and time.
Gratitude.
I want to thank Tatiana Berger and Dr. Sergei Gepshtein and all of the Moving Boundaries faculty and staff. I especially want to thank the locals who literally held our hands and made us feel secure in a new place. Your contributions are much appreciated.
For the reader: If you want to explore the realm of science and architecture, click this link to read more https://www.mb2023.org/
Thank you!
-Steffi
P.s.
If I tapped you about collaborating, I really meant it. Let's put a date on the calendar to get cracking. I have so many ideas to run with after such an inspiring immersion.
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