At yoga classes and meditation sessions, the sentiment is that showing up is the hardest part of the practice. There is so much truth to that. Showing up is adhering to the responsibility of this life. But also pausing the activeness of our hour, day, or week and doing something centered on self-care and wellness takes intention and commitment. Equally, showing up not just for ourselves but also for someone else when we’re needed comes from that same place of being available. Life (and love and work), in challenging times, is even more complex. That’s why who we show up for, and who shows up for us, will likely never be forgotten.
I repeatedly say that I think all works of art are self-portraits. Some are obviously more so. Cindy Sherman appears in every photograph she has ever taken. The diversity of personalities she depicts is profound and offers interesting insight into how many different selves we harbor. And when the personal or cultural inclination is resignation, Sherman suggests that how we show up is less significant than simply showing up. Living with a bearable lightness of being is countercultural.
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