💡 Goal: Cultivate an eye for the ordinary and find wonder in everyday life.
Why It Matters
All around you is something wonderful. Right now. Look up. Or close your eyes and listen. Did you see or hear something that was outside of your perception before?
Think about the creative act behind it. Was it designed? Did it evolve? Was it there before you were born? Did you buy it last week?
You can change your experience by changing what you pay attention to.
You can change the experience of someone else by changing what they pay attention to.
This is what art is.
This is what an artist does.
The Resistor
Seeing with new eyes 🤔
It’s easy not to notice what is right in front of you. It’s easy to take things for granted.
Maybe you think a grand piano in some studio far away will make a song better than the old slightly out of tune piano at your house.
Maybe you wait for the perfect golden hour of light and don’t capture the cup of tea on the table in the harsh afternoon sun.
Art is in the here and now.
It’s about using what is right in front of you to make someone feel something.
A Signal Path
Boring Beauty: Discovering Inspiration in Plain Sight
Sam Abell takes pictures that transport you to another place. His work as a Photographer for National Geographic has captivated people around the world.
He is known for capturing grace in quiet moments. Over a forty year career, he has transformed the mundane into the sublime, whether shadowing ranchers across Montana or piecing together a county fair. He finds art where others only see the motion of daily existence.
His photographs celebrate the commonplace rituals that bring together families and communities. His images leave negative space to let your mind wander into the mystery of the everyday alongside his subjects.
Abell demonstrates how an artist can make you fall in love with the world you think you have already seen. His works ask you to slow down and rediscover meaning in the overlooked things of everyday life.
Beauty is waiting there for anyone learning again how to look.
Three Cats
Learn more about the three cats here.
✅ Idea: Give the mundane new life
🔺 Process: Shape the innate quality
🔹 Result: TThe gold is in the dirt
Switch to Action
"I invent nothing. I rediscover."
― Auguste Rodin
Unveiling the Extraordinary
Take a moment to observe an ordinary object in your surroundings. Study its details, considering its purpose and role in your life.
Imagine the story behind the object, asking yourself:
- Who created it and why?
- What impact has it had on those who have used it?
- What secrets might it hold?
Write down what you uncover about the hidden magic of this everyday item. Use vivid language to describe its qualities and the emotions it evokes.
As you write, challenge yourself to find deep beauty in the object and appreciate the artistry in the ordinary.
Go Deeper
Get Sam Abell's Book Stay This Moment: The Photographs of Sam Abell
See more of Sam Abell's work on his projects page
Looking for other ways to learn to confront your shadow side? Try the Passfilter Creative Cards