On this page you find three scores for collectively writing an exploratory essay. The exploratory essay On phenomenon, published in Part 1 of this article, has been written neither collectively nor framed by any score. Nevertheless, these scores provide insights into the dynamics of this practice.
Exploratory essay writing is an individual practice. On this basis, “collectivity” is understood here as a field of resonances that allows and requires an attentive listening from each practitioner, in order to sense the “emerging sense of plausibility and viability of the [collective] writing process” as formulated in the first score.
A significant change can be noticed comparing the first two scores and the last one. Whereas in the first, each practitioner is invited to address the inquired phenomena “as if you would encounter them for the first time when you begin to write,” in the last one an alternative to this request is offered: to inhabit and observe the meanings that the investigated phenomena might have for each practitioner before she/he begins to write.
Score for collectively writing an exploratory essay on the “common self” using a shared online document in the framework of the conference Alliances & Commonalities (October 22-24, 2020).
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Before starting to write, let go of any tendency to search for any kind of information about the concepts “common,” “self” and “common self”.
Furthermore, try to neutralize—bracket, suspend, exclude from your current awareness—your knowledge about, your intellectual, political and emotional position toward, and the sense that the concepts “common,” “self” and “common self” might have for you.
On this basis, address the concepts “common,” “self” and “common self” as if you would encounter them for the first time when you begin to write.
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Begin to write.
Feel free to write—and to not write—at any time between October 22 at 1.50 pm (CET) 2021—after the presentation of this workshop—and October 24 at 11 am (CET) 2021 —before the closing event.
While writing, let go of any tendency to search for any definition or theoretical explanation of the concepts “common,” “self” and “common self”. Feel free to explore the etymology of the appearing words and to look for synonyms, antonyms and associated words also in other languages (we will write in English).
Become aware of your writing body (its positions, its movements, its actions, its interactions), of the devices you are using for writing, of the components of your surroundings and of your environment.
Let go of reflexive, explanatory, descriptive, narrative, discursive or explicit ways of relating to these entities. Instead, establish a sensorimotor and emotional touch with them and (let yourself) write with them. Maintain the resonance of these agencies always present in the background of your awareness while writing.
In the foreground, become aware of the signs that appear on the document—the ones you produce and the ones produced by your co-practitioners—and the specific ways in which they relate to one another. Establish a primarily sensorimotor and emotional touch with them that facilitates perceptual, imaginative and associative interactions. Let the possible reflexive, explanatory, descriptive or narrative tendencies of your writing develop in this framework. If it appears, let go of any tendency to judge what you or your co-practitioners write either according to stylistic, logical or theoretical criteria or any criteria of truth. Instead (let yourself) follow the emerging sense of plausibility and viability of the writing process.
Read always carefully and very slowly what has been written before you continue writing.
Write always your new words after the previously written without inserting any words into the already present text.
If it appears, let go of any tendency to establish a direct and explicit dialogue either with yourself or with your co-practitioners.
Never erase what you have written after a co-practitioner has written something else and never erase anything written by a co-practitioner.
Write always carefully and very slowly.
First draft of a score for collectively writing an exploratory essay on “aesthetic thinking” using a shared online document in the framework of the project Aesthetic Thinking through Aesthetic Research Practices realized in the conference Aesthetik und Erkenntnis (July 13-15, 2021).
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Every time before you start writing, try to empty the term “aesthetic thinking” of any preconceived meanings.
Every time before you start writing, become aware of your body in the situation set up for writing.
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If nothing is written yet, then begin to write when you sense an intuitive connection, an intuition of sense, a sense-related resonance of “aesthetic thinking” triggered by or expressed through the sign(s), word(s) and sentence(s) that you are, potentially, going to write.
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If something (new) is written on the shared document, read it slowly enough to allow the signs, words, sentences and empty spaces to resonate instead of attending to their possible meanings. Engage with the trajectories of sense that may emerge out of your slow reading, and then begin to write.
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Continue writing slowly enough in order to sense the resonance of your writing in the drift of sense that it enables.
While writing, let go of any tendency to look for pre-formulated meanings of “aesthetic thinking.” Feel free to explore the etymology of the appearing words and to look for synonyms, antonyms and associated words also in other languages. We will write in English. Nevertheless, feel free to include single words and/or short formulations in other languages as long as they do not hinder the process of collective reading/writing.
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If someone else is simultaneously engaged with writing, try to create conditions for the mutual resonance of each one’s writing by, firstly, being aware of the amount of text that you are writing and the time needed for it, and secondly, attentively allowing the other writer(s) to finish writing a passage before you continue writing.
In moments of engaging simultaneously in writing with others or while being in touch with already written text, let go of any tendency to enter in a direct relation of dialogue. Instead, relate to the signs, words, sentences and empty spaces written by others indirectly by letting them resonate in the flow of sense they enable to emerge and engaging with this resonance.
Let go of any tendency to correct anything written by other(s) and to correct anything you have written after someone else has continued writing.
Final draft of a score for collectively writing an exploratory essay on “aesthetic thinking” using a shared online document in the framework of the project Aesthetic Thinking through Aesthetic Research Practices realized in the conference Aesthetik und Erkenntnis (July 13-15, 2021).
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Every time before starting to write, devote some time to become aware of any conceptual account (theory) on “aesthetics,” “thinking” and/or “aesthetic thinking” which may be significatively present for you in this moment. Become also aware of your current relation/position towards it/them.
On this basis, decide either to neutralize the agency of this/these account/s, that is, to write without any conceptual framework, or to write within one or some conceptual framework/s, that is, in the field of agency of one or some conceptual account/s.
In both cases, interact with the object of observation—“aesthetic thinking”—through the emerging text aesthetically.
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Begin to write.
Feel free to write—and to not write—at any time between March 24 at 12.15 (CET) and July 15 at 7.30 pm (CET) on the shared online document.
While writing, let go of any tendency to search for definitions, explanations or general conceptual accounts on the concepts “aesthetics,” “thinking” and/or “aesthetic thinking.” Feel free to explore the etymology of the appearing words and to look for synonyms, antonyms and associated words also in other languages. We will write in English. Nevertheless, feel free to include single words and/or short formulations in other languages as long as they do not hinder the process of collective reading/writing.
While writing, be aware of your writing body (its positions, its movements, its actions, its interactions), of the devices you are using for writing, of the components of your surroundings and of your environment. Let go of reflexive, explanatory, descriptive, narrative, discursive or any explicit ways of relating to these entities. Instead, try to maintain a relaxed and non-focused awareness of their agencies in the background of your writing process.
In the foreground, become aware of the signs that appear on the online document—the ones that you produce and the ones produced by your co-practitioners—and the specific ways in which they relate to one another. Let the actualization of these entities’ agencies be operative in your writing process.
If it appears, let go of any tendency to judge what you or your co-practitioners write either according to stylistic, logical or theoretical criteria or any criteria of truth. Instead let yourself follow the emerging sense of plausibility and viability of the writing process and the emerging text. Write with the writing and with the text.
At the beginning of each writing session, before you begin to write, read carefully and very slowly a piece of what has been written long enough to allow you to re-engage with the flow of emergence of sense conditioned by the already written text.
Write always your new words after the previously written. If it appears, let go of any tendency to establish a direct and explicit dialogue either with your co-practitioners.