I was able to join the last couple of hours of the workshop, but I felt the sende of togetherness and care when I entered. Also, how the design of the gathertown actually worked like I was visiting the studio/Pia in my imagination (It was kind of a virtual reality!). In other digital platforms, usually everyone can see or hear everyone on screen once people join at the same time, but this time when I entered, I saw Jessie first to be updated what was going on and joined one group by going in one of the studios. Afterward, I was able to see everyone on the table. In this sense, it was somehow more virtually real to actually join the space. Not just jumped in, but there were steps like I actually would have done it if I entered the real Pia Bouman studio. Something to think about how we can gather/enter in the digital space.
I felt using/accessing different senses to be aware of space around you and your body/self-awareness help to focus and be intuitive for the creative process/space in the digital space by hearing others' comments and feedback.
You totally did an amazing job to create a shared space where I really felt the similar/familiar experience entering the virtual room of Pia before the pandemic and before they moved to the new location! Beautiful nostalgia that I embrace it with my memory❤️
Thanks for sharing this Yui. For me, creating a sense of a familiarity of environment and behaviour, like you describe experiencing, is so important. Finding ways to recreate, imitate, generate the rituals of shared space we remember keeps us linked to our pre-Pandemic ways of practice and offers possibilities as we move forward.