/ SPRING BREAK 2020 /
Iris Cäzilia
It is easy to be consumed by the bleakness of the news and overwhelmed by the waves of social media as one adjusts to a more screen heavy lifestyle. But to what end? The predictability of a monotonous day can create soulless routines. Perhaps nothing has changed in that respect, but normalcy in confined spaces has amplified the tediousness of its maintenance. Adaptation is necessary, not only for survival in its literal forms but to create a sense of mindfulness in the midst of change. What is regular should be challenged. The body and its relationship to space and the regular can be used to challenge it. To live sensibly in a time of uncertainty with an outdated mindset, does not allow space for breath or exploration or change.
As one of the many college students who has had to move from their academic setting to a more confined domestic space, i.e. my childhood home, the transition has been strange. The places, people, and practices that gave me peace of mind and allowed me to question myself and surroundings are no longer accessible to me. I hoped the cancellation of events and reorganization of classes would provide me with the time I wanted to be more active with my art practice; but the lack of structure, the constant use of my phone or computer, and the comfort of my bedroom have been more of a challenge to overcome than just an adjustment of place and routine. I have had to be more intentional than ever with my mind and body, not only to finish assignments but to ensure the stability of my mental health. I break the idleness and distractions through dance. If I sit all day at my desk I risk sinking into depressive oblivion. I must move, even if it’s only five or ten minutes. Breaking my routine is necessary. My parents and sister are now accustomed to my odd activities throughout the house, and even join in on rare occasions. I have more empathy, patience, and awareness toward my family members and the space we share. I laugh at myself and get joy out of doing more than just walking and sitting. It is a challenge every day, but one that I look forward to because it is not perfect, it adapts and breathes with me.
Do not conform to predictability, allow the mind and body to break out of routine and cut the nets of negligence. Move with empathy towards yourself and your space. Move without restraining or worry for how it will be perceived; there are no real rules for how to move the body, act and react as the body pleases. By allowing the body to question normalcy and routine, the mind can question states of normalcy further. In the face of quarantine and uncertainty for what may happen after, now may be the perfect time to allow yourself a moment of offline exploration. Turn off the news, put down your phone, try something new. Who knows, the break might even be fun.
Iris Cäzilia
Iris Cäzilia is a visual and performing artist in her final year at Luther College in Decorah Iowa. Since 2018, she has been one of the presidents of the Luther Artist’s Collective (LAC), a group dedicated to connecting Luther students outside of class through the arts and with the greater Decorah community. She is also the leader of KPROJECT, a contemporary hip-hop dance club that provides a space for students to teach, learn, perform, and connect through pop choreography. Her visual work has been featured in the SEA Juried Art Competition (2112, 2019), and frequented shows in Gregerson Gallery at Luther College (MINIS in 2020, MONOCHROME in 2019, and Phenomena in 2019). Her 2020 senior solo exhibition was cancelled due to precaution for COVID-19. In 2019 she performed in What Would Love Do? a contemporary production exploring the nuance of love in relationships through dance. A reprise was planned in March of 2020 at the North-Central ACDA Conference at Iowa State University, but was cancelled due to precaution for COVID-19. She is currently finishing her studies at home, using this time as an incubation period for growth, questioning, and planning for the artistic shift thereafter.
