Kestrel Gates

Additional photographs by Che Jo Last winter I spent three months in Bali, a small island in Indonesia. My original intention in going to Bali was to study dance and other art forms. Quickly, I realized that taking art classes was teaching me much more than art. As I experienced cultural differences, I began to get a glimpse at the relationship between myself, the creative process and the community around me. These perceptions and understandings are ever evolving. By writing them I don't intend to idealize Balinese culture or portray the end-all truth, but to inspire the contemplation of the relationship between creativity and community.

Right away, people took me in and I was amazed by their generosity and openness, and the ways in which they live together. I lived with a family of eight, spanning four generations, which is common. The people I knew live in an intricate social structure which insures that everyone has an important role in their family compound, their extended family, and the banjar (a religious neighborhood organization). This sense of community is also experienced on a personal level. People of the same gender are constantly holding hands or have their arms around each other--I even saw two policemen casually hugging in the street. This ease in relating and expressing affection is extended to visitors as well. I found that after a short introduction the people I met would invite me to their homes, help me get places, and even insist on buying me meals. In this way they absorb visitors into their communities. "Whose tourist is that?" is a common Balinese question, expressing the sense of ownership they have of tourists. I had many experiences reaffirming that this ownership reaches beyond economic need and comes from an honest desire to feel connected. As a young woman, I attracted a lot of parental attention, especially from my teachers.