Vulnerability. Strength.

At first glimpse, it is easy to understand vulnerability as something negative. Something to avoid. We expose ourselves to harm and danger. We risk being attacked and injured. The word vulnerability brings out associations of weakness and maybe even stupidity. "Susceptibility of a person, group, society or system to physical or emotional injury or attack." That is one of the definitions you can find on Wikipedia. And of course this is a very important aspect of what vulnerability is. As such, we have come to shun it. Not only is it something we try to avoid and to protect us from, it has also become something we deny knowing at all. Or maybe we can see it in others but not in ourselves. And if we can feel it ourselves, we are not in a hurry to admit it to the world. Yet it's blatantly obviously there.

As said before, I am sure it is a feeling we all have experienced in one or another aspect of our lives, as individuals. But our vulnerability is also visible elsewhere. We have large faith for example in our economical systems and in the benefits and protection of capitalsim, yet many countries have recently suffered severe economical crises. Not that our systems are necessarily wrong, but are they devoid of vulnerability? As humans our vulnerability shows for example in the face of natural disasters, and in our seeming unability to live peacefully, without warfare. We take advantage of the vulnerability of nature and eploit it way beyond it's healthy limits and therby risk our own existence.

So, vulnerability is bad? So, we need to be strong and forceful and protect ourselves against all these things? What then is strength and protection? Is it to make shields and covers behind which to hide? Sometimes it is. If somebody attacks you or your child for example, of course you need to take measures to protect yourself and her/him. But let's also look at another aspect of - vulnerability. "Letting your guard down, leaving yourself open to censure or critisism". At first this seems to more or of the bad, but at the same time I'm thinking maybe not. Letting your guard down means opening up for the surrounding world. Sure, this results in a possibility that you will be harmed, but it also means you open up for good things as love, as actually being in a real relationship with your environment. And maybe here vulnerability and strength join hands. Through opening up our hearts to The Other, and to ourselves as we are in this very moment, to our deep and unavoidable connection to earth. Maybe this is how we become strong and find protection, through daring to be vulnerable. Maybe through these symbolic skins we can learn something about what we fear and what gives us a sense of safety and courage. Maybe for example my "water-skin" is a symbol of my need and love for a sincere connection to nature, and maybe through giving myself the experience of this connection I can - as beautifully written in one of the comments - open my skin up a bit to allow others coming near me.

Number two

This symbolic skin was handed to me this weekend and I find it absolutely beautiful! Words to acompany it will follow!

Number one

Today I am genuinely happy to introduce the very first contribution to this project (my own excepted). A young man at the age of five heard about my project from his mother, and immediately decided to join in and create his own symbolic skin. I am very proud to present an image showing a detail of his work of art. It's constructed by a soft, red piece of cloth with two nature's items attached to it - a tiny cone and a tiny leaf.

Challenge number one

Some time has passed now, and this project is (as probably many projects) slow to start up. This is the first project I am heading, and I have allready learnt a lot of what is required to take an idea and make it come real. I'm refining the projectplan to be able to contact possible sponsors in the private sector and putting together material of information for those who wish to participate. I've been questioning whether I should wait to start networking in a larger scale until I know whether I'll be able to pay participants for postal services or not, but I don't know. I really want this to become real, and it's difficult to wait =). But on the other hand it would be wonderful to be able to offer you who wish to join in repayment for what it costs to send your skins and stories to me. We'll see how it goes!

Also I have learnt how difficult it is to be your own sole motor of inspiration. I really believe in this idea, but I also long for the time when I start recieving contributions from others and can be more in a dialogue with participants in the project. This is also a time which puts me straight in contact with those very thoughts that tend to make me feel vulnerable. Is what I'm doing worth anything? Will anybody else find this a good idea and meaningful project? I decide that, yes: in a while, maybe soon people will start to join in. The idea is good. It´s just a matter of time. I think we can create a wonderful work of art together and a wonderful set of stories!

So, challenge number one: I shall feign of those negative thoughts and remember my vision, I shall be courageous and contact everyone I think might want to support this project, and I shall start networking no matter the financial situation. My idea deserves to come true!