The Art of Disappearing

One of wisest reflections on how to create (and exist) in the world these days came from Michaela Coel at the Emmy’s a couple years ago:

“In a world that entices us to browse through the lives of others to help us better determine how we feel about ourselves, and to, in turn, feel the need to be constantly visible—for visibility, these days, seems to somehow equate to success—do not be afraid to disappear…From it, from us, for a while. And see what comes to you in the silence.”

Disappearing in a world that all but requires constant visibility can be a radical act, a resistance, and an essential step in the creative process.

Photo by: Shannon Palmer Photography

Akiko Busch reflects on “the power of invisibility” in her TED Talk, acknowledging it as a positive condition that can enhance creativity and connect us more to both ourselves and each other. In her poem, “The Art of Disappearing,” Naomi Shihab Nye tells it to us like this:

You're trying to remember something
too important to forget…

Walk around feeling like a leaf.
Know you could tumble any second.
Then decide what to do with your time.

Let’s keep trying to remember, to make our lives, and to share what we can along the way.

(An excerpt from the Make Things & Share Them newsletter, 2022)