Inquiry #1: A Time to Stop and Look
Have you ever stopped to notice how the light shimmers through the trees or how the birds sound in the morning versus in the evening? Do these things really matter, or are they just the mundane aspects of life that are found in our world? There is a concept called The Art of Noticing, first developed by Rob Walker, who wrote a book by the same name. The concept of this art format is to change the patterns or ways you view and interact with this world. There are 5 categories to The Art of Noticing: Looking, Sensing, Going places, Connecting with others, and Being alone. There are many techniques he suggests that can be used to harness this art, yet for my purposes, I would like to play around with this idea of noticing without following specific rules, for what is art without play? Will noticing the little things around me change the way I view or engage with the world? My goal for this blog is to explore the things I’ve noticed throughout the week, no matter how big or small, for the great purpose of this exploration is in the details of the everyday.
We live in an age where business rules over lives, where we run from one place to the next, catching our breath as we go. This sense of magic over the mundane has somehow seemed to diminish as we grow up. So, whether it’s through photographs, videos, or simply my writing, I will share with you the things I notice, the things hidden in plain sight. As I explore these things, maybe more childlike wonder will return to me, and I can once again find magic in the mundane.
I will leave you with this little video of the wind in the tall grass that I took a little while back. It made me think of how lovely it would be to have a picnic here and watch the grass do its dance as it sways back and forth beneath the trees. I encourage you as well to go somewhere and do something that makes you pause and simply notice the world around you.
Video Taken by Carlee Cleveland On iPhone
Website for more information on The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker
Rob Walker. Rob Walker RSS. (n.d.). https://robwalker.net/noticing/