Power of the mind

Potential quotes to include into the performance.  Possibly have them scattered about or even have them on a projection to fade in and out throughout the duration of the performance.

 

Sylvester Stallone: “It’s not about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can GET hit and keep moving forward, how much you can TAKE and keep moving forward” (2012, p. 222)

 

George Addair: “Everything you want is on the other side of FEAR. Get over it” (2010, p. 168)

 

Napoleon Hill: “What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve” (1991, p. 54)

 

Muhammad Ali: “Only  a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of  his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the  match is even” (2005, p. 143)

 

Vince Lombardi: “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get back up” (2010, p. 117)

 

 

 

 

Woks Cited: 

Maewein, M., A., 2012, Survival of the Fittest and How the Lost Boy Survived It All, WestBow Press

Canfield, J., Hansen, M., V., 2010, The Power Of Focus, Random House

Staples, W., D., 1991, Think Like a Winner, Pelican Publishing

Fensin, A., 2005, Increase Wealth & Success, Pelican Publishing

Meier, J., D., 2010, Getting Results the Agile Way: A Personal Results System for Work and Life, Innovation Playhouse

I will tie dirty napkins along the thick ropes with titles of diseases, illness and reasons for depression written in black upon them (e.g. Cancer, Fatigue, Depression).  Napkins are obviously pieces of cloth that cleanse or are used to prevent mess etc therefore would represent the cleanliness of the mind and body being corrupted by each of these subjects.

In the background i’ll have quotes of success stories and facts about people who survived the impossible etc.

In terms of background music I was thinking Katie Melua’s ‘Spiders Web’ as it talks about looking at things in a new perspective.  On the other hand, possibly my own narration to background music may be more impactful and personal if I choose to go down that path.

Potential songs: 

Eva Cassidy – Fields of Gold

Katie Melua – Spiders Web

Katie Melua – The Flood

Christina Perri – A Thousand Years

Love, Come Save Me – Right Away, Great Captain

 

 

 

Here is an extremely rough sketch of the audience’s potential view of the performance.

In my performance I will put my body under intense physical strain to represent the hardship life can bring to the body and mind. To do this I will perform an intense 10 minute rest-pause set of pull ups while wearing a belt that has several heavy ropes attached to it. These ropes will trail off into the audience where the audience will be told prior to the performance to tug on them forcefully at their own discretion. The audience must not hold back, life doesn’t.  This will force my body off the pull up bar and cause me to drop/make it a lot harder for me to complete my reps. It is physically impossible for me to do pull ups for 10 minutes straight. In no time at all, I may not even be able to do a full rep. However the achievement is constantly trying and not giving up within that time period. I am still considering other methods that will cause physical stress and pain on the body to incorporate into this routine however, this image itself may be powerful enough. In terms of lighting and tech, I am thinking a large spotlight so the ropes trail off into the darkness while creating an intense effect on the muscles allowing for a more obvious image of stress and strain.  The intention of the performance is not just linked to the fight with Cancer, it is to convey a mind-set that is so powerful that when achieved, it will lead to success and subsequently has the power to help conquer one of the most feared diseases in the world. ‘Never give up’, A way of living that is invaluable.

This idea could easily relate to a less extreme version of ‘Body Art’.  Body Art is a form of performance that pushes the body to it’s limits, something Marina Abramovic was interested in earlier in her career.  Abramovic states that Body Art “had a lot to do with pain and injuriousness in order to push the body to its border, even to the border between life and death” (Goy, B., 1990).  While my performance is based on life and death in a way, it is not based solely on me pushing my body to the limit.  The strain on the body is merely something that is inevitable.  Something that will come with dealing with the performance itself.  The focus is on completing the act.

 

 

 

 

Works Cited:

Goy, B., 1990, Journal of Contemporary Art, Available at: http://www.jca-online.com/abramovic.html

Cancer is one of the most commonly known and feared diseases. The physical stress it causes on the body can be horrific. The mental repercussions of this can be equally as fatal if not more so. The constant attack on a person’s mindset can dramatically enhance the strength of the illness. The question, how to ‘Beat Cancer’ is argued constantly around the world. Having a positive mindset is extremely difficult in a time where everything seems so negative, especially as your body is giving you negative signals and possibly painful reminders every day. However, with a positive mindset, the possibilities to help yourself and therefore your body, open up. If you personally believe you can beat it, then you instantly put yourself in a position to do something about it. whether that action is simply having an extra glass of water a day or completely transforming your diet and exercise. Now, it may not be FACT that a positive mindset can cure cancer but it IS fact that if you sit there and do nothing to help yourself, you’re giving up. If you’re giving up, your mind will give up and your body will follow.

Caroline Leaf states that “the average person has over 30,000 thoughts a day.  Through an uncontrolled thought life, we create the conditions for illness; we make ourselves sick!  Research shows that fear, all on its own, triggers more than 1,400 known physical and chemical responses and activates more than 30 different hormones.  There are INTELLECTUAL and MEDICAL reasons to FORGIVE! Toxic waste generated by toxic thoughts causes the following illnesses: diabetes, cancer, asthma, skin problems and allergies to name just a few.  Consciously control your thought life and start to detox your brain!”

While this is a very extreme view point, I strongly beleive that second by second you could be doing something to help yourself.  You can do ANYTHING you put your mind to.  People can argue that my statement can’t be backed up personally as my Mother ‘lost’ her fight with Cancer. I don’t see it like that.  My mum was diagnosed with Breast Cancer that, with a positive mindset and healthy eating, (with help from the all natural Gerson Diet) she overcame. Eventually it came back in her lungs and was mis-diagnosed, giving the cancer time to grow.  It rapidly became a very serious form of Cancer and my mum was given a rough estimate as to how long she had left to live.  Thanks to a positive mindset, positive support, exercise and healthy lifestyle. My mum managed to dramatically extend her life expectancy.

 

 

 

Works Cited: 

Leaf, C., Article, Thought Life, available at: http://drleaf.com/thought_life.php

The process of ‘Solo Performance’ has been idea after idea after idea.  The issue is, I feel the need to put on a performance that’s entertaining, a performance that people would pay money to see.  The idea of just appealing to people who understand ‘drama’ and ‘performance’ is uninteresting, I want to create something that leaves a lasting impression on every member of the public.

I have been avoiding my biggest motivation, my mum, due to a slight feeling of discomfort at the idea of using her death as a ‘performance’.  However, after much consideration, the fact is my mother was a performer herself.  She embodies my positive mindset and would be honoured to be used as inspiration for a performance.  This IS what my performance will be on.  The hardships of life.