I have finally drafted some language to describe my practice of the art of noticing, which seems trivial considering the escalating apocalypse, but I actually think it is important for our survival. I started using this phrase The Art of Noticing without awareness of the book with this title by Rob Walker. I have not read it, but it seems to be about noticing objects that often go unnoticed with the ultimate goal of unlocking human creativity. My ultimate goals are to forge relationships with non-human kin & experience awe. Noticing & awe help me hold uncertainty & complexity, which is an essential skill for this apocalyptic time we live in.
How To Do Nothing by Jenny Odell
"I've learned that patterns of attention - what we choose to notice & what we do not - are how we render reality for ourselves, & thus have a direct bearing on what we feel is possible at any given time."
"It's only now that I fully understand where a life of sustained attention leads: to awareness, not only of how lucky I am to be alive, but to ongoing patterns of cultural & ecological devastation around me - & the inescapable part that I play in it. In other words, simple awareness is the seed of responsibility."
Awe by Dacher Keltner
“Wonder, the mental state of openness, questioning, curiosity, & embracing mystery, arises out of experiences of awe. In our studies, people who find more everyday awe show evidence of living with wonder. They are more open to new ideas, to what is unknown, to what language can’t describe. To the absurd.”
Recommendations if you’d like to practice the art of noticing:
Move slowly outside, take time to stop & interact with the beings you notice.
Create your own pace & practice depending on your abilities, location, interests, & the time of year.
Walk with people who have different interests & have them point things out to you (birds, insects, plants, mushrooms, etc.), then notice how your noticing changes over time as you become more aware of various beings.
Below are 2 of my favorite photos I’ve taken with my macro lens. Slime molds & ambush bugs are small & usually unnoticed beings that are magnificent to observe once you know where & how to notice them.
