Interviews with participants from
Connect To Create 2014, by Kim Koster
A moment that touched/inspired you?
“We had to imagine a place in the garden and use our inspiration of that place to work with clay. I really felt the material and it left a very happy feeling inside of me. Afterwards there was a time for reflection and mirroring as other people wrote down words, which came up as they looked at my work. As I read them, I felt that those words were directly connected to myself. It was a moment of confidence, a real meeting and seeing myself and the other.
Also, the sharing circle we had in the middle of the week stands out. Sitting there I wondered: How can I deal with this situation in this group of unknown people? I really felt part of the group. From then on, I felt more laid back as I realized that we were all connected. It was a real moment of transformation”
“I loved the singing in the circle which we did many times a day. Often I looked at the ground or into the distance, but the moments I looked at others, I sometimes made eye contact. It was very special. I could be in the circle and at the same time feel close to myself and close to others.
Now we can really leave something behind here, besides the memories. It's the best feeling, to be able to contribute. Here I see people create out of their strength and together we create a wholeness.”
How do you experience this place?
“As I arrived I was so happy and amazed. I felt that this was a place where I would like to stay and make myself at home. Everybody was so welcoming, they put a lot of trust in us.
It is a place where I can follow my feelings and deeply listen to myself.
Also, seeing this place at work encourages me to take the next step.”
“I came closer to myself and became calmer. My inspiration level got up! This farm is run in a beautiful way, not too strict. There is an openness and it invites people to do new things. For example, the two poems I wrote really were born out of the moment and the place. It's special that things can come up like this. The writing was not with my mind, it came onto the paper in a different way. Then it also arrives with the listeners differently.”
How did you experience the combination or art and farm work?
“The program and the work make me feel very connected to the farm. I see how the milk becomes cheese and from seeing and being part of those processes, I feel my creativity awakening.
You are really invited to become a part of the daily work here, like doing the milking; the generosity of the farmers inspires me! As the farming work is quite demanding and new, I afterwards feel the urge to translate it into something I know, like making art.”
How do you look back at the week?
“It was exciting how the group would develop under this week. How does a 'group' become a group I wondered? Now after this week, I look back and I SEE a group, I FEEL a group, and this group is boiling with ideas and inspiration. Everybody wants to make the most out of those last days and make it into a beautiful ending.”
“I had to get used to the rhythm and the new place, but then it felt like I got into the flow. Waking up got easier, the muscle pain less. In the end the contact to other people was very important and I enjoyed it very much. There was a development throughout the week; from ‘me’ to ‘we’.”
“I experienced those three words, art, nature and freedom, here at Connect to Create. There has been no pressure to do anything that doesn't feel right, just an encouragement to do what does feel right! I take home many beautiful memories, and meetings with wonderful people.
Looking at the week, it was very good to have both hand, head and heart work. I loved the program.”
“What is beautiful is that we are actually leaving a footprint here with the work we have been doing, we are making a change!
This week makes me feel calm and peaceful within myself. It makes my head empty in a positive way.”
How was the workshop you participated in?
“The week really was a process, a movement to which we gave the impulse together. I remember the camp fires, so many different moments were shared there. From discussions, to songs, to silence. This is a place where I can just be, I felt then.”
“The storytelling felt very different from the farming work. It was more working with the head. Whenever I struggled to find the right words to tell my story, I went off to the cows. They are very good listeners and I often experienced how things changed when I told my story for them. After those moments, I felt all right with everything. ´Wow, that this can happen!´, I thought afterwards.”
What do you take with you from this week?
“That the first impression can be so wrong! In this week I really got to see people behind this first impression, and I saw all their unique qualities. There was time and space here to REALLY meet the other, that's not everywhere the case. This week was a learning in being conscious and being open.”
“What was very beautiful to see here: There are many people who are capable to make a difference in this world. This week I saw many wise people with beautiful intentions.
By only being here together, I felt that we did something positive for this earth. There has been many seeds planted which can now start to sprout.”
A moment that touched/inspired you?
“The kitchen moments were always very creative and inspiring moments. Harvesting the vegetables and creating the menu in the moment is much fun. And the cook said: ‘I just like how every person does things so differently!’ There was a certain kind of acceptance that was very special.”
“Connect to Create is a possibility to meet new people and to create something big in a special place”
“Connect to Create is a possibility to share your gift and use everybody's gifts to create something together.”
“Connect to Create is a place to make peace within myself.”
“We had to imagine a place in the garden and use our inspiration of that place to work with clay. I really felt the material and it left a very happy feeling inside of me. Afterwards there was a time for reflection and mirroring as other people wrote down words, which came up as they looked at my work. As I read them, I felt that those words were directly connected to myself. It was a moment of confidence, a real meeting and seeing myself and the other.
Also, the sharing circle we had in the middle of the week stands out. Sitting there I wondered: How can I deal with this situation in this group of unknown people? I really felt part of the group. From then on, I felt more laid back as I realized that we were all connected. It was a real moment of transformation”
“I loved the singing in the circle which we did many times a day. Often I looked at the ground or into the distance, but the moments I looked at others, I sometimes made eye contact. It was very special. I could be in the circle and at the same time feel close to myself and close to others.
Now we can really leave something behind here, besides the memories. It's the best feeling, to be able to contribute. Here I see people create out of their strength and together we create a wholeness.”
How do you experience this place?
“As I arrived I was so happy and amazed. I felt that this was a place where I would like to stay and make myself at home. Everybody was so welcoming, they put a lot of trust in us.
It is a place where I can follow my feelings and deeply listen to myself.
Also, seeing this place at work encourages me to take the next step.”
“I came closer to myself and became calmer. My inspiration level got up! This farm is run in a beautiful way, not too strict. There is an openness and it invites people to do new things. For example, the two poems I wrote really were born out of the moment and the place. It's special that things can come up like this. The writing was not with my mind, it came onto the paper in a different way. Then it also arrives with the listeners differently.”
How did you experience the combination or art and farm work?
“The program and the work make me feel very connected to the farm. I see how the milk becomes cheese and from seeing and being part of those processes, I feel my creativity awakening.
You are really invited to become a part of the daily work here, like doing the milking; the generosity of the farmers inspires me! As the farming work is quite demanding and new, I afterwards feel the urge to translate it into something I know, like making art.”
How do you look back at the week?
“It was exciting how the group would develop under this week. How does a 'group' become a group I wondered? Now after this week, I look back and I SEE a group, I FEEL a group, and this group is boiling with ideas and inspiration. Everybody wants to make the most out of those last days and make it into a beautiful ending.”
“I had to get used to the rhythm and the new place, but then it felt like I got into the flow. Waking up got easier, the muscle pain less. In the end the contact to other people was very important and I enjoyed it very much. There was a development throughout the week; from ‘me’ to ‘we’.”
“I experienced those three words, art, nature and freedom, here at Connect to Create. There has been no pressure to do anything that doesn't feel right, just an encouragement to do what does feel right! I take home many beautiful memories, and meetings with wonderful people.
Looking at the week, it was very good to have both hand, head and heart work. I loved the program.”
“What is beautiful is that we are actually leaving a footprint here with the work we have been doing, we are making a change!
This week makes me feel calm and peaceful within myself. It makes my head empty in a positive way.”
How was the workshop you participated in?
“The week really was a process, a movement to which we gave the impulse together. I remember the camp fires, so many different moments were shared there. From discussions, to songs, to silence. This is a place where I can just be, I felt then.”
“The storytelling felt very different from the farming work. It was more working with the head. Whenever I struggled to find the right words to tell my story, I went off to the cows. They are very good listeners and I often experienced how things changed when I told my story for them. After those moments, I felt all right with everything. ´Wow, that this can happen!´, I thought afterwards.”
What do you take with you from this week?
“That the first impression can be so wrong! In this week I really got to see people behind this first impression, and I saw all their unique qualities. There was time and space here to REALLY meet the other, that's not everywhere the case. This week was a learning in being conscious and being open.”
“What was very beautiful to see here: There are many people who are capable to make a difference in this world. This week I saw many wise people with beautiful intentions.
By only being here together, I felt that we did something positive for this earth. There has been many seeds planted which can now start to sprout.”
A moment that touched/inspired you?
“The kitchen moments were always very creative and inspiring moments. Harvesting the vegetables and creating the menu in the moment is much fun. And the cook said: ‘I just like how every person does things so differently!’ There was a certain kind of acceptance that was very special.”
“Connect to Create is a possibility to meet new people and to create something big in a special place”
“Connect to Create is a possibility to share your gift and use everybody's gifts to create something together.”
“Connect to Create is a place to make peace within myself.”