The first marks on this Curious Scroll occured at the 2016 Republican and Democratic political conventions, when hundreds of people found their calm painting on this 170-foot-long spool of linen.
Then people in Santa Cruz County added a second layer of marks and paint during the November 2018 election season. We explored questions like:
I am grateful to all the people who taught me more about how to be in my loving presence while having conversations with those I disagree with. I'm still a beginner.
What's Next:
In 2020, I had planned to bring the Curious Scroll to places where the tension is greatest. I was excited and terrified to invite opposing sides to meet and try to convince each other of their point of view while they tie the scroll into a knot. How tight do you think the knot would get when let’s say, gun rights activists and gun control activists try to convince the other why they are right as they tie the scroll into a knot? Then I would have asked both sides to work together to untie that knot in silence.
But after one knot tying and untying experiment on the subject of housing, Covid 19 ended plans for The Curious Scroll in 2020 as it would be dangerous to share this in person.
Instead I have developed a guided art-making meditation that you can do from the comfort of your home. No art skills needed!
Art-making Meditation
Tonglen to find calm and compassion for self and other (16 minutes)
See how KSBW News covered The Curious Scroll here.