Interaction Book 2 - Passion Feeling

2019-09-20

An interaction book with drawings from a different person on each page attempting to express the feeling of their passion. In this project, it was the first step towards finding what I found fascinating and meaningful.

After finishing Book 1, I wanted to continue with another book. But I didn't want to do the same thing again and felt the need to evolve and explore new perspectives. The idea came to me when I took a short cooking class. The instructor was passionate and in their element while teaching and cooking. I was inspired by how fluid they seemed, as if they were in the flow of water. Later I would learn to describe the flow as being the state of effortless concentration. From that cooking class, I learned that I wanted to be around these types of people. It didn't matter what it was, just to be around people passionate about something felt inspiring.

Through that experience, I discovered my intention for this project. I wanted to explore what people's passions were, and more so, capture how they felt when delving into that passion. I wondered if everyone did have a passion, since not everyone's passion is what their occupation is (nor should it have to be that way). But my thought was, it might reveal the things people are passionate about that I would have had no idea about. Because some just are never asked. I knew that some people may not have found what their "thing" is yet. In those cases, I hoped that perhaps my prompt would give them an opportunity to reflect on it, and maybe set them on a path to find it.

I intentionally didn't ask them to express what their passion was, but what it felt like. I didn't want them to communicate a fact, but to try and grasp that abstract feeling. That feeling is what is fascinating to me and I wanted people to try and express that.

Process:

If someone seemed receptive, I would ask them, stranger or not, if they wanted to participate.
Ask them to express on a page what their passion feels like.
They would have as long as they wanted to take.
After they finished I would give it a title.

Experiences:

In comparison to Book 1 which had no prompt direction, these pages were much more focused in their expression.
I decided to remove the time limit that I had from Book 1 because I didn't want there to be any time pressure.
Participants included: A friend's roommate, a coworker on their last day before retirement, someone drawing while on a blanket at a park, a woman in a park writing poems for strangers.

Outcomes:

29 drawings over 3 years.
With some direction given in the prompts, I got to see creativity flourish and it was a fulfilling experience to see this wide range of expression.
I learned that giving a little direction but still leaving it open ended enough is all most people need to let themselves express their inner selves.
I loved seeing people's interpretations of their own feelings in their passions.
I felt that this project was closer to whatever it is im trying to do.

Selected pages from Book 2 below