Have you been paying attention? Over the last year, our sphere of experience has contracted, confined, at least for a time within the four walls of home, or restricted to the local area. Are you going stir crazy? Do you long for the stimulation of travel? Have you lost the will to be curious?
Thank goodness there is so much to see, if only we knew how to look. It’s refreshing to find brilliant ideas and inspiration between the covers of a handsome book: The Art of Noticing.
Create personal inventories, a field guide, a drawing from memory…walk an unaccustomed route, listen deeply, look up…Rob Walker has written down one hundred and thirty one different ways of taking in our surroundings more fully, appreciating the detail, refreshing the familiar.
See you outside, with a new pair of eyes.
The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker, is published by Ebury Press.
Preview five ways to discover a city differently in this article by the author.
Thanks for sharing this review. I followed the links to his Guardian article. Very interesting and inspiring. My daughter has been diversifying home schooling for her Primary aged kids by walking their home patch, spotting all the letters in the alphabet one day, numbers 1 to 50 another day then collecting pictures of items to make up the colours in the rainbow. They too search for, and read plaques. I look at the plants, and lack of plants in people’s suburban front gardens, as well as the plaques.
Dear Cathy, What a pleasure! Oh i’d love to be in your daughter’s class, collecting numbers, alphabets and colours – brilliant.
That sounds like a lot of fun for the children Cathy. It’s those inspirational teachers that we need.