I collaborate to share differences and find mutual participatory forms of expression. There is no space for ego, one needs humility and a willingness to unlearn patterns of individual ownership. Fixed ideas of outcome are constantly challenged as thoughts, phrases and images are cross pollinated and ideas, processes and practice are stretched to new places beyond the limits of individual concerns.
There are times when I have had to think about how far I am willing to stretch my ideas when "becoming our idea", but at a certain point that is forgotten and no longer important. At times, I have questioned the choices we have made for the work, and have questioned how much I should resist agreement with other collaborators. This has felt like a process of living with differences rather than forcing my views, finding commonality whilst having space to express one's own process and interests in the project.
In working with other artists from different skills sets and disciplines such as Vicky Vergou, who has many years of experience in film and video making and editing. We have found new ways to communicate through visual and body based languages. In working with Cally Trench and Philip Lee, I have found a shared language around performance, whilst supporting Cally's curatorial skills in developing the work.
In many instances, I would have been just as happy to have experienced the dialogue and process of the group, without any outcomes. This has been the case, in a more recent collaborative dialogue with Tellus Art Lab. The group has ventured into writing together, but our online meetings often focus on dialogue as the form and engagement of the group. This journey is enriching my thinking, challenging my edges and bringing me into a co-creative, intersubjective experience.