Facial Karaoke

0 CommentsMonday • April 9, 2012 • by Imei

Did you know your face has forty-three muscles and over one thousand micro expressions? As a psychotherapist, I spend hours studying people’s expressions as much as I listen to their stories. Why? Because people — really good people! — have reasons why they tell and respond to their stories in unexpected ways, which is another way of saying that everyone but everyone has reasons to possess emotions that remain incongruent with their actual expressions. I became fascinated with the human face and its penchant for mystery and suppression as well as over-the-top emotions pouring out of the eyes and mouth. About a month ago, this fascination turned into an art project called, Facial Karaoke, which makes its debut to the public on April 14, 2012 at the Old Rainier Brewery Artwalk.

Here’s my short description of what Facial Karaoke is:

 

Our faces use 43 muscles and access over 1000 expressions.Facial Karaoke is my unique presentation of recycling and borrowing expressions, allowing participants to explore feelings in a physical and visceral way without experiencing the actual situations that can produce them.

Participant observers will be asked to sit with Imei for a few moments, face to face, before Facial Karaoke begins. By observing micro expressions, the participant begins to copy these expressions while noticing what thoughts emerge. Only after the expression is copied will the transmitter (Imei) reveal the context of the emotions through a short story.

Emotions explored will include the following: happiness, contempt, joy, disgust, joy, surprise, fear, and sadness. In an all-adult context, we may also opt to explore other expressions, such as lust, desire, and the equanimity after sexual orgasm. 

Facial Karaoke will run from 6-7 pm on April 14, 2012 in the Old Rainier Brewery Hips For Hire Studio (maps provided on site). You may also attend by dropping in on the Ustream.tv channel, Hips For Hire. 

This is a fun (and funny) way to learn expression, reading, and human connection that we all crave from the first moment our baby eyes open and see our first caregiver. All participation is voluntary. Facial Karaoke involves movement, observation, pauses, and inspiration from Butoh (modern dance from Japan). It is my attempt to help show you a little of my world as an artful psychotherapist, but with a humorous approach to educating others about emotions. From a cursory search of the Internet, I believe my presentation is unique, although the idea of facial reading and interpretation is an old practice.

Check out my video about the Artwalk offerings in the Hips For Hire studio:

I believe that artful expressions should emerge in all kinds of daily practices, which is the topic of the book I’m writing, Designing Your Practice: An Artistic Approach (due out in Fall 2012). The book explores mental health strategies involving artistic explorations as a means to understanding recovery and restoration in mental health, instead of shame, labeling, psychopharmacy, and pathologizing symptoms rather than compassionate and collaborative interactions.

People have been asking me how they can donate to help me get my book published (because it takes money!), and after my Kickstarter campaign finished, I’ve moved my campaign to my professional website for my services. Facial Karaoke is just one more way we can understand how art and mental health care intersect. I’m in the process of hiring a book publishing coach to help me in the process of creating a professionally-published book that I’ll be proud to put into your hands.

As a part of my Artwalk presentation in the studio, I’ll be accepting donations towards my book-writing project. This is the first time I’ve used my own studio to raise money for something that benefits me rather than an outside cause. I’ve decided to do this because I believe in my project, and I want everyone I know to be a part of this with me. I believe my book has the power to help people transform their daily practices and businesses into springs of wellness and creativity, and thus every dollar donated will help me — us! — accomplish this transformation one book at a time.

We hope you can attend our Artwalk, and I hope you’ll drop by in person or through Ustream.tv. Enjoy the show!