Exercise 2: Deconstructing Boundaries
Boundaries can have both positive and negative connotations. They can be actual and imaginary, real and artificial, an opening or a blockade. We share boundaries within our daily lives in all sorts of practical and theoretical ways, impacting the social, political and cultural landscapes we inhabit. Equally, we have very personal and subjective boundaries often formed through beliefs, ethics and moral understanding. Our perspective on the world is anchored to the boundaries we encounter, both visible and invisible. Often, locating boundaries can be difficult and being able to deconstruct them is even more of a challenge.
For this exercise, you are to analyse your practice by deconstructing elements in order to uncover and reveal the dynamics of your perspective. In Exercise 1, you reduced your practice into diagrammatic form, revealing the constituent practical and theoretical elements. This gives you the foundations to deconstruct your practice in order to reinterpret it and glean fresh perspectives on the direction and significance of your making.
Damián Ortega’s first solo exhibition in Sweden. Photo by Susanne Nilsson via Flickr.
Continue by reflecting on your practice and deconstructing each element of your practical and theoretical concerns from a macro to a micro perspective. Use the following questions and prompts to analyse your perspective on the world and how your work is enforced by your perspective and the boundaries you set:
- What boundaries have you set yourself? Why are they important?
Every day, I engage in a crucial practice as a textile engineer: I reflect on the boundaries that define my work. These limits, set by the customers I create projects for, are specific and cost-effective. They shape my vision and work limits, and by reflecting on them, I am capable to do my best in my work. So boundaries are the rules under which I have to perform, and without them, I wouldn’t be able to deliver any piece of textiles at all.
As far as behaviour boundaries are concerned, they are the rules that have been set by our society: they are laws under which we have to behave and live.
- How do your boundaries impact your perspective on the world?
My working boundaries are the work frame under which I have to perform. As far as the behaviour limits are concerned, by maintaining healthy boundaries, we can say no to things we don’t want to do and limit how much we give ourselves to others. We can also ask for what we need and respect the boundaries of others. Having healthy boundaries is essential for good self-care. Boundaries are rules that keep society together and create a healthy social structure. Therefore, the absence of regulations can create disturbance, chaos, and disorder.
- What happens when we have no boundaries?
When there is no work frame, every project fails because it does not comply to a healthy setting under which a project will thrive and prosper. It will not fulfil the purpose it was created for as it will not meet any requirements.
When we fail to establish boundaries, we risk losing our sense of self, often without realizing it. We find ourselves dreading each day as we rise in the morning. We resent others for having needs and any imbalances in our relationships. We start feeling constantly on edge, becoming irritable and angry with others, even though we keep these feelings to ourselves. Concentration becomes difficult, we start forgetting things, and we may begin to feel apathetic. Our understanding of what constitutes healthy boundaries becomes vague. We struggle to navigate relationships where our boundaries have caused pain. We feel constantly overwhelmed and out of control, dealing with one crisis after another. A sense of meaningfulness begins to fade, and we feel guilty or afraid of setting boundaries. We find it challenging to decline when others seek our time, love, energy, or financial support. Paradoxically, our inability to say no only leads to others taking on less responsibility, not more. With time, we may start feeling emotionally numb when we do establish our boundaries, plagued by feelings of selfishness.
- Do you have control over your boundaries and, therefore, your perspective, or are such concepts malleable and open to change?
Boundaries are not set in stone; they will evolve just like us. We don’t have to feel bad about changing our minds or boundaries. It’s our life; we have the right to decide what works and what doesn’t and evolve those decisions. Saying that, we always have to check our limits and how our perspective does not affect the viewpoint of others. The key words are respect and emotional awareness: we have to understand the impact of our actions.
- How can the perspectives of others impact your boundaries?
As mentioned before, we tune ourselves to the needs and perspectives of our society. So, we live and work under the rules set by our community, established by the world we live in. Every era has had different rules and boundaries. For example, what is unthinkable today (slavery) was normal 2000 years ago. In the Maya empire, it was common to sacrifice people to please Gods. Child labour was common 70 years ago. However, it’s important to remember that societal norms are not fixed. They are shaped by individuals who challenge the status quo. I sometimes see my children in shock watching an old movie and see people smoking in restaurants and aeroplanes, a reminder of how societal norms have evolved over time, often due to the actions of individuals.
So, the world around us sets the frame of our lives without knowing it!
- Are there boundaries between the aspects of your practice, or is your work an isolated form?
We cannot ignore boundaries in our work. We can only work within them: remove any limitations that hinder our growth, progress, and development to create something superior. It is crucial to recognize the constraints imposed by society and the limits we impose on ourselves, which hold us back from learning and improving. Creating something that falls within societal boundaries is unacceptable. However, creating something that transcends our personal limits while staying within societal norms is a form of growth.
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