" O T H E R S  H A V E  A N
E X P E R I E N C E  O F  U S
T H A T  M A Y  B E
Q U I T E  D I F F E R E N T
F R O M  O U R
E X P E R I E N C E  O F
O U R S E L V E S ."
Shaun McNiff

" W E  D O  N O T
D E A L  M U C H  I N  F A C T S
W H E N  W E  A R E
C O N T E M P L A T I N G
O U R S E L V E S ."
Mark Twain

" M U C H  O F  M Y  L I F E
H A S  B E E N  A B O U T
S E L F-E F F A C E M E N T,
P R E T E N S E,
M A S Q U E R A D I N G,
C O N C E A L M E N T
A N D
I N D I R E C T I O N ."
Marlon Riggs

Asking for feedback can be a frightening proposition. In the past I have written about asking for feedback regarding your artwork (see June 2002). In that article I suggested ways of asking for as well as giving specific feedback. I recommended asking for feedback from people whose opinions you value.

As a part of my Inside the Dress project I have decided to ask some people I admire to give me feedback about my personal qualities. I am interested in incorporating the perspectives of others in my work. I believe that there is much for me to learn about myself from others' experiences of me.

I have asked for a description of an important quality. I invited consideration of both positive and negative aspects of the quality. For example, I am strong willed. My will is helpful in persevering through challenges, but can be can become detrimental when I become stubborn and narrow in my focus.

I have also asked each person to choose a symbol that represents the quality depicted. I am interested to see if symbols selected will be similar or different from symbols I ordinarily relate to myself.

Operating on the theory that it takes two to know one I am asking for a mirror in which to see myself. According to Shaun McNiff it is through others that we discover who we are. It is not sufficient for us to rely on our own view of ourselves.

We make up stories all the time about who we are and what others think of us. Recently a friend asked for feedback about an exchange we had. She thought I might be judging her negatively. In fact I thought she was courageous and strong. If she had not asked, she might not have known that I admired her. Most often I have not asked.

My hope is that the perspectives of my friends and family will help me to see myself more fully. I will carefully consider what they tell me. I imagine there will be a lot to learn. Although I am anxious I am also looking forward to this new information.

As I have excavated my interior experience during the past nine months, I have developed a stronger sense of myself. I am able to more clearly articulate who I believe I am. I am more certain about what I want to do with the rest of my life. I seek even more clarity.

Having a mirror may allow me to see myself differently. I suspect that I will find some new understanding. My hope is that I will be enriched and that my work will also become fuller.


The project is entitled, "Inside the Dress." It is a process that will culminate in an exhibition at the McMullen Gallery in 2005. My colleagues, Jean Brandel, Judy Villett and Jayne Willoughby-Scott and I conceived the idea as a means of creating an opportunity to work deeply. The process will take more than a year to complete. We envision the result of collective personal work will be a remarkable exhibition.