It has taken me a couple of days to reflect on the Module One discussion that took place on Tuesday. We discussed many interesting topics from ethics revolving social media to assumptions of race and nationalities. During the discussion I felt that I was thinking too much about what I wanted to say and that I didn’t really get the chance to express myself properly. I have discovered that throughout this course I need learn to not be so hesitant. Many people assume that I am 'loud and opinionated' because I am a performer, when actually we as performers are normal people who are passionate about our careers but have learnt to put on a brave face from time-to-time. This is ’stereotyping’ but could also be seen as ’assumption’.
‘Where are you from?’ is a question that could potentially mean many things. I get asked this a lot, and I normally love to share my family history. My father was born in Italy, but he moved to Australia when he was very young. But after the discussion on Tuesday, I thought about what causes people to ask this question. These 2 words came to mind;
Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary describes an assumption as “something that you accept as true without question or proof.” It seems to be a point of contention within the Performing Arts Industry during this current time. While were are fighting for the Arts to rectify after the complications of Covid-19, many people are still taking to social media to tell to us ‘get a proper job’. Many people see us as ‘just having fun’ by wearing costumes, make-up and entertaining audiences. When I worked on cruise ships, the other crew members used to say ‘what an easy life the dancers live’ but what they don’t see is the years of training, the dreaded audition processes and the rehearsals that go into the early hours of the morning - it is physically and mentally exhausting! And the Art’s are everywhere, not just on stage. You couldn’t have your ’Netflix and Chill’ night without the performers that are in your favourite TV shows and movies. When I think about assumptions like this, it breaks my heart, and what’s worse is that millions of people are believing their assumptions to be the truth. But what causes causes assumptions?
"Evolution made us the ultimate learning machines, and the ultimate learning machines need to be oiled by curiosity."
I read a very interesting article on BBC Future about what causes us to be curious. It explores the reasons about why humans are so curious and apparently it comes down to the way we have evolved. Unfortunately as humans we always love to know the answers, even if we won’t benefit from them. As a Teaching Assistant, I am always getting asked questions by children that initially seem out of context, but when I think about it, surely this curiosity in children is better than making assumptions?
Assumptions can also have a terrible impact on an individuals mental health. It can be very easy to live your life not questioning and assume 'things' to be facts. These facts, if negative, can cause low self esteem and even depression. When I reflect this upon my past practice, I remember myself at auditions when I would get cut. I remembered thinking to myself that I wasn’t good enough and that I would never get a job. These assumptions were irrational and did not help me in any way. It is sometimes important to embrace uncertainty and know that you cannot always be in control.
I have come to the conclusion that curiosity is great. It is my curiosity that is helping me expand my knowledge of my practice and this exciting industry. Even if sometimes my curiosity feels like a waste of time, it is possible that what I learn by chance today will be useful another day. If I was to make assumptions then I could be blocking opportunities to learn.
I came across this powerful question which I feel is important to ask ourselves as we learn to stop making assumptions;
"What if I don’t need to know the answer about this person/situation? How much stress could I relieve myself of by just agreeing, in this moment, to not know what I can’t know?"
References
Stafford, T. (2012). Why are we so curious?. BBC Future, [online]. Available at https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20120618-why-are-we-so-curious. Accessed 30/09/2020.
Don Miguel Ruiz. (Unknown). Challenge Assumptions. Sage Publishing, [online]. Available at https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/47099_Reiss___Ch1.pdf. Accessed 30/09/2020
Jacobson, S. (2016). Assumptions - Why They Are Wrecking Your Mood And How To Stop Making Them. Harley Therapy, [online]. Available at https://www.harleytherapy.co.uk/counselling/making-assumptions.htm. Accessed 30/09/2020.
Your first comment is brilliant... and yes I totally agree. I'm not sure how old you are but I know when I was 10 years younger I was very worried if I said the wrong thing people wouldn't like me. Know I still worry if im saying the wrong thing... but im not so worried if they like me for it. We all have a different opinion and thats FINE... it would be a dull world if we all agreed hey... but we must learn from others in this instance that we can always see a different view, even if we don't agree.
ReplyDeleteContinue to be curious... I believe Knowledge is power.. and with the right tools we can over come anything xx
Great post thank you x
Hi Clare, thank you for your comment. I am 24, but haven't yet in my career had the need to give my opinions on certain topics. It will definitely be a learning curve, and a skill that I can develop and use in my everyday life. But I have found a lot of reassurance in your comment, thank you. You're very right in saying that not one of our opinions will be identical to others, but we are here to listen, learn and contribute when we can. x
DeleteLoved your post Alice! I was the same as you in some ways in that I was concerned about expressing myself properly which inhibits me actually speaking, but I also sometimes sit quietly because one comment someone makes sparks a thousand thoughts in me and don't want to lose them!
ReplyDeleteI think we are definitely all naturally curious, and rather than sit with it and make assumptions we should act on it and start questioning. We also have to accept, as your last quote brilliantly says, that we cannot know everything. As humans we sometimes think we have some sort of right to know everything or are entitled to information. We are entitled to respectfully and curiously question, but that doesn't mean we always deserve an answer. I think sometimes we have to just put our assumptions aside and accept that.
Great post! xx
Hi Roanne, thank you for your comment. It's nice to know that others are feeling the same as me. I felt so ready to contribute to the conversation, but couldn't find a time that was free, and when this time finally arrived, the conversation had changed. It is something that I need to improve to ensure I get the best out of my learning, but I'm so excited for this to develop.
DeleteI loved the way you have spoken about being entitled to question, but not always deserving an answer. I think this is an excellent point to make! As humans, sometimes we believe we are the ultimate species that deserve all the answers, however Module One has taught me this is not possible. It's important to remember that we are not in control and some things only the universe will know. x
Hi Alice,
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting post. Assumptions and curiosity are so big in everyday lives and we don't always notice it. I'm learning to always question- 'why did I assume that?' I think it's also interesting to look into how it is ok to not know something, as long as we keep moving forward. It's impossible to know everything as things change all the time! But being aware of that fact is a great start. Alys :) xx
Hi Alys, thank you for you comment. I also agree that they are massive nouns that we become very involved with not only in our professional lives, but also personally. Very interesting to think that we can't know everything as things change all the time, our curiosity can develop throughout these changes though, maybe this will allow us to learn and grown? x
DeleteAlice, what a great post! I myself find there is a fine line between asking a question and asking the right question all depending on what answer you are looking for.
ReplyDeleteReflecting on my own encounters I have found that previously I may have made an assumption quite quickly without any real thought as I knew my intention was not to make anyone feel negative and I was led more by my curiosity - an example of this could be asking someone where they are from?
Over the years I have come to learn that unfortunately you can only control how you deliver something to someone else, not how it is received and therefore your intentions become rather irrelevant.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this - I can already feel an ethics blog of my own coming along!
Hi Georgina, thank you for your comment! I agree about the 'fine line' you have mentioned. I also have found myself in situations where I my curiosity has lead to asking questions when possibly I didn't deserve the answers. 'Where are you from' is a great example, especially working in this industry. I have always found myself working in groups with different ethnicities and am interested in hearing about other people's backgrounds, but I haven't always considered the other person and whether they're happy to share this with me. I am glad this discussion was brought up for me to reflect on this. I also can feel an ethics blog brewing, I am excited to read yours too ! x
DeleteHi Alice great blog, the part about the crew members saying 'the dancers have an easy life' really made me laugh because I have lost count how many times I have heard that! I used to try and explain, but It got to the point where I would just be like 'you signed your contract, I signed mine' because I felt like I was wasting my breath! That don't know the years of training and hard work it is for us to get to where we are, also that our contracts are rolling like theirs we have to fight for every contract we get!
ReplyDeleteI also agree in the discussions I am sometimes too hesitant an when I unmute myself to talk , either the topic suddenly changes or I wasn't quick enough! But will get used to it :)
Hi Emily, thank you for your comment. I know exactly what you mean, it was so frustrating when people used to say this to me! But also they never understood how physically exhausting it is to be a dancer. Not everyone could do 45 or more mins of cardio, 3 times a day, especially when the sea was rough. Sometimes the day after a show, I could barely walk my body was in so much pain. But I also gave up explaining this, maybe because I did feel slightly guilty that I wasn't working as many hours as other crew members. But we also didn't have the advantage of rolling contracts.
DeleteI also found myself un-muting myself to talk a number of times during the discussion, but hopefully as time goes on we will learn to not be so hesitant. x
Hi Alice! This was such an interesting blog to read. I get so annoyed when people dismiss the arts, especially in the present, because after all it is the arts that have provided the public a place to escape and a distraction from what is happening in the world. Many people do assume that as dancers we aren't strong, my family are guilty of that, and are surprised when we show our strength and endurance in tasks that they themselves struggle with. I think that people don't realise the importance of the arts and don't appreciate the hard work behind the scenes, which is understandable because unless you are exposed to something you don't know what you don't know. This brings me to question is it because the only exposure to the arts some people have are competition dances on TV? or is it because unless people experience what it is like they will never understand a they haven't have the experience to learn and reflect from?
ReplyDeleteThis blog post has definitely brought some questions up that i want to explore, thank you !
Hi Katie, thank you for your comment, it has really got me thinking about what others assume of us as performers. I can imagine when people watch 'Dance Moms', they see Moms and teachers fighting, little girls crying and being forced to dance and wear controversial costumes. It may seem that these children are being brought up to believe that dance is the only important thing in their lives. It's frustrating that these types of shows are displaying the arts in a negative way. Maybe we are just prancing around the stage in pretty costumes, and maybe the life could go on without the entertainment sector. However, I can proudly say that many lives wouldn't have half the value if it wasn't for the arts. Dance is much more to me than just putting on a show, and no other 'non-performer' could ever understand that unfortunately. x
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