By means of inquiry we are opened up to what is questionable in the world, to what normally goes unnoticed.

Karen Meyers

Warm blanket of cloud over the city of Vancouver one beautiful morning

Morning beauty

 A blanket of cloud envelops and warms the city creating a perfect picture. At first glance, the picture of the cloud above the city appears soft and fluffy and even looks warm.  But as the cloud dissipates, and we look deeper, we can clearly see the tall buildings in the city and the garbage on the streets and the poor souls who are suffering- often unnoticed.  If we were to take the time to look and listen, they will likely tell us that they are in pain and are lonely.  It is only when we allow ourselves to pause… look and listen to others voices -allowing them to speak, than we see, we hear and we understand – we experience their pain and loneliness.  Only then, will we feel the depth and pain below the soft, fluffy cloud as it appears to blanket and warms the city.

This first class highlighted for me the wonderful possibilities that lay within narrative inquiry and creative arts. The possibility for society to gain a deeper understanding of social injustice through experiencing narratives and plays such as “Watching Glory Die” or one that I saw a couple of years ago called “Next to Normal”.   These real- life tragedies allow for the audience to not only observe the issues but also to participate in the experience of the issue. The audience is drawn in as a witness, allowing for a deeper emotional awakening - feeling the pain, the sadness and the desperation that is presented through these plays and writings.  

I think that when we are given opportunity to feel and experience such tragedies this way, that we can move from a place of “feeling uneasy and saddened” to being “called into action”…. What is the intrinsic trigger that activates this response? Is it simply born from the act of pausing and listening and understanding- experiencing? If so, then there is power in narrative inquiry and in creative arts.

 We all have a voice… and we all have the power to influence.  Imagine what our world could be like if every one “Paused and Listened and truly reached out to understand each others soul.

Wendy Magnusson