The Art of Observation: Collaborative Writing by Text Message

Workshop Presentation
Margaret Luongo  

Post global pandemic, separated by perspectives and high emotion, we may nevertheless connect through observation of our immediate environments. As we take time to see and experience our surroundings, our internal landscapes shift. When we share our sensory record of a handful of moments throughout the day, over the course of days, we create a deeper connection to ourselves and each other, to the environment, to human nature itself. In this workshop, participants will learn about renga, a type of collaborative Japanese poetry from which haiku emerged. Focused on everyday observation, renga encourages mindfulness, playfulness, and responsiveness. Participants will find a partner (preferably someone they don’t know) and exchange mobile numbers. After a brief warm-up in the conference room, we’ll venture outside to observe, exchange, and respond to each other’s brief observations via text message. Over the course of the conference, participants will complete at least one exchange per day. The resulting renga sequence may be shared online with conference participants.