10 seconds each week: a new video project (and you?)
Posted: April 15th, 2011 | Author: jillfoster | Filed under: Practice, Silent10 video project, Videoblogging | Tags: #silent10, benefits of silence, community meditative practice, Danielle Ricks, Shonali Burke, silence, vlogging | 12 Comments »UPDATE – 2:45 est
Geek Diva Gadget Girl Danielle Ricks joins the project & shares her #Silent10 clip – wonderful, wonderful.
Silence is fascinating.
…& the motivation for a new video project called #Silent10. A quick intro clip follows just below:
When engaging with an audience, speakers can evoke a sense of command by offering silence or amplify meaning of their spoken words. Honestly I’ve come to realize in the past few years that silence is one of my most cherished engagement tools to study.
Silence can serve as a distinct gesture…
…when a speaker gazes out to listeners, offering silence before or during a presentation. I have observed how silence, extended in a certain way from speaker to audience, can express unconditional acceptance between speaker and listeners. Even if just for a few seconds – the presenter’s quietness and directed eye contact can come across as an act of reciprocity to those listening. In collaborating with folks on different speech projects, I’ve been enthralled to see a certain exchange that silence can prompt. It’s like extended silence from the speaker indicates to the audience: ”Your dedicated attention is valuable and honored.”
Have you tried silence in this way as a public speaker?
Or have you exercised silence in other more introspective ways?
…like being quiet out in nature? Or have you exercised meditative silence to cultivate inner calm (or greater clarity of mind)?
These reflections, along with a conversations with Shonali Burke, have given way to a new video project.
With this new project, these questions come to mind:
Could online video & silence unite? And could that union create a simple meditative practice between those on both ends of the video clip?
That’s what the new video project - Silent 10 - is about: exercising silence & fostering its benefits through video.
Each week, a video clip of my silent face will show up on camera, a recording of just 10 seconds. It will be shared here at Live Your Talk.
Would you like to join in?
Would you share 10 seconds of silence & record it on video each Friday?
Years ago during a meditation class, the instructor suggested to meditate silently without placing any goals on the practice session.
I’m realizing now though I have hopes for this project.
- to strengthen my ability to give and receive attention,
- to be more present-minded,
- to dedicate to regular practices of silence. Yet no matter what may occupy my mind each Friday – i.e. the hectic dimensions of life – showing up silently and looking honestly as possible in the camera will occur.
- to learn, from a speaker development point of view, to be my own best audience first with the camera’s help, and yours if you’re game to participate too!
What do you think? You are very welcome to participate.
Feel free sharing your own #silent10 video clip, just you gazing silently for 10 seconds into the camera, here in the comments too.
I’m motivated about this and curious too (-curious if this may emerge a neat, meditative experience with others, or if it may end up being my cats and me staring at the camera each week!).
But heck…curiosity seems a great place to start.
Awesome
Are you sure you didn’t want to just show off your new haircut? :p j/k
This is interesting, Jill, and thanks for the shout out to my post. I have to confess, your 10 seconds felt a little long to me… 2-3 would have sufficed, IMHO. But then, that’s not the point of your project, and I get that (and I also know you won’t take this comment amiss, which is why I can post it!).
I don’t know if I could do 10 seconds of silence on video. In front of an audience is different, though I think it would depend on the kind of audience as well. I wonder if that is because of what is “lost” when going from face-to-face to behind the camera?
I’m going to look forward to your videos!
Jill, you find the most interesting ways to review behavior and practices. I think a 10 sec video of silence is easier than 10 seconds of silence in front of an audience. Will I add to your project? (You know how I feel about video…and curiosity) Rock on!
@Nakeva @Shonali @Anandaleeke — Thanks for saying what you did and I agree about silence (likely any duration…) is easier in front of a camera than in front of a live assembly of people.
@Nakeva – Your feelings about good ole video are certainly respected. Your wisdom, whether expressed silently on camera or through the written word here is welcome anytime.
You know I love anything that has to do with video. Count me in and here’s my first video.
@Shonali – Heartily agree – the dynamic between an in-person audience and a camera are different. The camera is more immediately intimate. Even though absorption of time is intensified in both scenarios, it is really amplified in screening video.
But as you eluded to already being mindful of, a 2 or 3 second recording would be a different project entirely; it would practically at that point be a still photo. Producing standard paced engagement or video entertainment is a goal beyond interests for this experiment, at least at this point! It’s been a strange realization that frankly I wasn’t sure would be appropriate to publish. But it hung on as an idea to tinker with.
Some of this, on a personal level, is to create a teeny weeny forum to practice being a better listener. Because when speaking to folks, I firmly believe that we as speakers must exemplify what we hope an audience will offer us i.e. their devoted attention. And getting really nitty gritty, looking head on into a camera is a self-acceptance game. For the live recording at least, there ain’t nothin’ but self looking back.
I confess, I am not a good practitioner of silence. But, I have seen it used very effectively many times. Most memorably, I once worked for a Chef who would intimidate all us cooks by simply standing silently behind us. It made everyone nervous but also made us work harder for him.
@Gabriel – That’s a great image and story about the chef. When you say you’re not good practicing silence, do you mean from a public speaking perspective or in a meditation-like scenario where it’s just you being quiet? In either case, I find silence challenging to exert and maintain. Yet it’s still so fascinating for some reason. Thanks for sharing that and your honesty.
Exciting @Danielle(!) Thank you for sharing your enthusiasm and participating. I look forward to discovering this project together (and learning your observations along the way).
What an excellent idea! I look forward to following along with you.
[...] Silent10 is a video exercise with hopes of cultivating the benefits of silence through video (10 seconds each week with the help of a camera & some curiosity); comments & participation since last week have been fascinating. [...]
[...] silent meditation yet honestly I’ve been inconsistent with publishing the video clips. Sometimes others participate too and record themselves being silent for just a few [...]