Houyhnhnm wrote:
Donald Redux wrote:
Interesting. I wonder what the name might be were it not Art of Natural Dressage?
Hi, Donald! Long time no see! That´s a very good question by the way
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Josepha wrote:
@ Volker, so tell me, why do you not like Art of Natural Dressage?
Please don´t get me wrong - I´m not at all saying that I don´t like what´s behind the name. I really like the concept and the philosophy.
I guess it´s primarily the word "art" that´s just a bit too lofty for me. But that´s not such a big deal. What´s conflicting for me (and I´m sure that´s just my view of it), is that I see the name and maybe even the
philosophy of AND posting is not doing justice to all the facets of this forum.
I´m aware that basically the philosophy of AND as it was written in 2007 and the way this forum is now, with all its very different members, are not the same thing. It´s just that I started to use the term "AND" for me as something that refers to the entirety of insights and viewpoints here in the forum - and for that the name falls simply too short. But, I also cannot think of any name that would be fitting for the collective spirit here.
Do I make any sense here? It´s kind of hard to explain...
Every 'discipline,' every 'method,' every approach that is named, given a name, needs frequent examination both for the insight such exercise brings to one's self and to others examining that approach. Clarifying is helpful, and your views certainly do make "sense," Volker.
Personally I'm good with 'Art,' as a descriptor as I cannot find a suitable word I'd replace it with. Certainly I'd shy away from 'Science,' though in the purest sense science is being pursued energetically here yet with great joy and even silliness at times. But then it's a well kept secret that many very good scientists are in fact often very silly people that have considerable fun at what they do.
"Craft," comes to mind, but might be very difficult to translate to some languages. It actually would work as I understand the word. As a verb it's super, as one works hard here at AND sometimes to explain what they are doing and learning. And certainly the relationship, if one is clearly intentional and focused on it, is "crafted," with care and attention.
As a noun it works too ... this is, after all, a craft in the same sense that potting, or cabinet making, or flower arranging can be a craft and an art. Craftsmen and Artist have an interesting relationship. The artist often is a craftsmen, and often not, and works in mystery and discovery as "artist," whereas craftsmen are seen as working inside set boundaries established by tradition and sometimes even rules.
Some pieces of cabinetry, for instance (my father was a cabinet maker), are both - both utilitarian and also expressive and emotional works of sculpture.
All these to me seem to apply as I think of the individual members of AND. Some, especially those very new to horses, seem to be more truly the artists, willing to stumble and fail but always moving forward, learning and gaining skills, while other I think of more as craftsmen honing their particular art into a cohesive and definable act where rules and boundaries begin to become more clear and settled.
But in the end I can set all this aside, and do as I wish - play, and make friends of Bonnie and Altea. My ego satisfaction at creating a behavior is very small beside my sense of joy and fulfillment in succeeding in the art of making a friend and growing a relationship. I see a great deal of this in AND, each and every day I check in here.
I suppose now you'll have to wonder, along with others who might have stumbled across my comments, if you are more craftsman or artist. I will tell you. The answer is - Yes. LOL