12 Minute Lecture on Silence by Ampro
Like most of these oral recordings, it does help me focus on the subject but I do not really learn much new. I personally have a great appreciation for silence, especially when in nature, with maybe one of the most negative things about where I live (surrounded by nature) is that pretty much daily and all times of the day some house around me has a gardener using a weed eater or leaf blower, meaning noise much of the day.
She suggested that silence can be shown in photographs by including empty space or by focusing on a distant landscape. And I guess the landscape has been my favorite depiction of silence (feature photo of pre-rain darkness this AM), though as I also photographed a little yellow butterfly this morning, I was reminded of the silence of butterflies in contrast to birds and almost all other wild except maybe some other insects. Thus this other morning’s other photo . . .
Lorena Cayuela – Poetry that Inspires
The teacher, Ampro, likes this poet for her attentiveness and attention to silence. We got a one minute recording of the poet reading her poem, Coffee, Alone. Like everything else in this class, the original is in Spanish and for poetry that could make big difference. But here is the written version of her poem in English . . .
Coffee, Alone
I shake my silent tongue hard
it moves, dancing your dance.
Pleasure! In the instant of ecstasy I forget
the bitter aftertaste in my throat.
Sugared lips hiding
infinite loneliness.
Foam residue in the shadow
of the cup, now opaque, now empty.
And I look, searching through the window,
for a bar, with a counter
to hold the coffee
by itself,
at the bar,
alone.
Inspiration: L’amnèsia del fang.
Click the heading for the website of this photographer which I did not find especially inspirational.
Recommended music: Dana Winner – Sound of Silence
An old song from my younger years! The kind of song you catch yourself repeating or humming. 🙂
Ampro’s Summary, “What you heard today:“
John Cage – 4’33”
A musical piece composed of… silence. For 4 minutes and 33 seconds, the performer does not play a single note. Cage reminds us that sound is everywhere, and that the most meaningful things sometimes happen when we do nothing.
Haruki Murakami
In his novels, silence becomes atmosphere. His characters dwell in long pauses, listening to what others leave unsaid. Silence is rhythm, mystery, and revelation.
Steven Hayes – Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
A psychotherapy approach that teaches us to accept thoughts and emotions without fighting them. Instead of mental noise, ACT invites us to pause, feel, and act from our core values.
Jon Kabat-Zinn
A pioneer in mindfulness. He defines mindfulness as paying attention intentionally, in the present moment, and without judgment. His approach arises from inner silence as a path to healing.
Alfred Brendel
Pianist and essayist. His music is full of silences that are not interruptions, but spaces for resonance. He understood that silence is not the absence of sound, but its foundation.
Hengki Koentjoro
Indonesian black-and-white photographer. His work is visual meditation: mist, sea, emptiness, lines. Each image seems to float in a whisper. Koentjoro captures silence with light.
RETURN to main page of Photography & Mindfulness OR to my Photographer page.
¡Pura Vida!
