Camphill Village

Like Bridget, I felt immensely reassured by our visit to Camphill, primarily because we have been talking for so long about a large project that relies entirely on a relationship with an ambiguous "camper." Knowing only that drawing is necessary and that we will be spending four days in a new environment, it was easy to be intimidated by the skills we assumed were necessary. However, visiting Camphill, I realized that all it really comes down to is a human relationship between two people.

Is it possible to feel simultaneously more settled and more anxious about this upcoming trip to Camphill? After interacting (briefly) with residents at Camphill, I'm feeling better about working with them to create a portrait of themselves. I was excited by the facilities and the beauty of the place; I wasn't really sure what to expect regarding how it would look, and I didn't know how much farmland and forest the area would include. I appreciated Mimi's honesty about how Camphill navigates the dueling pressures to serve the residents and balance the budget. 

Walking into Camphill, even having been told in detail about the village, its mission, and all that it has to offer, I had no image in my head of what to expect. Perhaps because the concept seemed so intriguing to me, but also partially so concerning, especially in light of discussions about viewing disability as pathology and locking away individuals with disabilities as we lock away our elderly. Though I knew that this was a highly improbable parallel, I couldn’t help but fear, at worst, that these were relatives exiled by families who couldn’t otherwise look after them.