What is HAPPINESS

My past three days dances have varied widely. I like that. I like that I can learn something in body as well as mind by virtue of taking 30 minutes of the day to do what pleases me. Don't get me wrong - some days I don't succeed. Two night's ago my dance being a case in point, I just couldn't 'get in-it' - as as result I felt dissatisfied during and after the dance.

I, as I am sure most, are 'happiness junkies' - I am sure some wise old philosopher - John Locke or what not wrote about the merits of this. But what IS happiness? In contemporary culture we've come to equate it with a saccharine birthday card sentiment of sunshine and cake. Don't get me wrong those things *can* make me very 'happy'. But there are other shades to happiness.

Three night's ago I was delightfully happy in my dance, it was a song I had never heard before, and I liked it. The journey of movement and discovery and connection to the greater world therein was delightful. I would say my experience was undoubtedly happy.

Compare the same 'sentiment' to last night's dance. More dramatic, internal - and yet I swam in absolute pleasure in those thirty minutes.

Maybe 'happiness' is too contrite a word to describe the vast array of human emotion. In the same way the eskimos have millions (or something) words for snow - maybe we should have similar sentiments for 'happy' - or maybe we (I) can just come to realize that that simple and yet profound human emotion is as diverse as the world's landscape, to not project a percieved idea of happiness onto ourselves or others and to let it BE.

*This post is related to Dance Time.Her - a personal project wherein I have committed to make 184 - 30 minute dances from 21 June 2014, leading to winter solstice 21 December. I stream the 30 minute dances live, then make short films from the 30 minute experience.

#dancetimeher #dancetimeher #happiness #glasgow #authenticity #kateedeeming #deemingdreaming #kitchendance #singlemum