Both/And is an autobiographical performance art piece that addresses the human condition of living with multiple truths within us. It explores the question, “How do we come to terms with the fact that we don't live in a world of either or, but rather, we live in a world of Both/And?” The piece is directly influenced by a Chasidic story written by Rabbi Simcha Bunem. It teaches us that throughout our lives, we must walk around with a piece of paper in each pocket. One piece of paper should read, “I am but dust and ashes.” and the other paper should read, “The world was created for my sake”. This idea, although derived from a Jewish context, represents a universal theme of dancing back and forth between feeling powerful and powerless, big and small, and feeling everything and nothing. It highlights the impermanence of fluidity in our lives and how at a moments notice, we can transition from feeling like the world was created for us, to feeling minuscule.
