Today I felt the true nature of the studio. In that, I mean the sense of using the space how you need to use it; finding common use in the space but also an individualized use. This was especially present in Trajal’s workshop. Before class started, Deb approached me and reassured me that I could do whatever I needed to do to combat my migraine: lie down, close my eyes, go to health and wellness, whatever I needed, she would support. Having her support, as well as the support of my classmates who were very diligent in checking to make sure I was okay, made me feel very comfortable with my current condition. It was easy for me to accept that I was in pain and that was okay. Knowing that even my professor, who had previously assigned over 100 pages of reading for one night, was okay with my taking it easy, helped me look into myself and see what I needed.

I found that what I needed was to sit with my sunglasses on, researching Butoh and Kazuo Ohno for the twenty minute studio that Trajal provided. While I felt like my time could be used more efficiently by going to get costuming, or working on the physical movement of the piece, I had to acknowledge that what my head and health needed was to sit and research. If this class had been an entire semester long, I would use this studio mindset to completely inform the way I work. Using the space to what I needed that day would be a valuable lesson and I wish Trajal had talked to us more about what differentiates a classroom from a studio. However, on the other hand, I am glad he did not have a direct conversation with us. Instead, we can slowly figure out the boundaries of studio and classroom and where they deviate and intersect. And that is a lesson that, although can be talked about, will only be learned through experience, yet will inform all other uses of studios in my life.