The Gift of Observation

"To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe."
Marilyn vos Savant

Observation has become a lost art. We are so busy with our lives, rushing here and there, hardly resting long enough to catch our breath let alone taking time to sit and observe anything that is going on around us. But years ago this wasn't the case in our society. Why is that? What has changed between then and now and how would being more observational about your surroundings help you in your daily life? And then - how would it improve your art?

What does observation mean? To observe is to carefully study something or to pay close attention to something, it goes beyond a casual glance. It requires examining something long enough to connect the dots, to understand how or why something is or isn't working. Observation is looking at something multiple times and from different perspectives. 

Observing takes time. It forces you to slow down, to be still, and often to be quiet. Listening can play a big role in observing. Additionally, meditation can play a unique form of observation, allowing your mind to grow and expand in calm, unhurried ways.

I don't think we take time to observe enough, and I often find myself guilty of this very thing. Recently, I've made an effort to be more observant with my children. I've been paying closer attention to what is going on around them and how they are learning and growing. By spending more time observing them, I've been able to understand how to better support them. This shift has been both challenging and rewarding. It has inspired me to slow down and observe even more things in my life. Observing truly means seeing something, or someone, for what it is-at it's best or at it's worst-and accepting the reality of it.

I often reflect on the simple observation of watching a plant grow and how it feels to be a small part of that process even simply by observing it. I think about moments when I'm trying to solve some kind of problem and how stepping away and observing it from a different angle can suddenly bring me clarity. It's also interesting how we might struggle to see solutions for ourselves but we can easily observe others and know how to help them, know what to say, know what to do.

In art and in life, taking time to observe the little details that contribute to  the bigger picture help us to determine the direction we need to go. Observation often leads to exploration.

But there are times when this can be painful. It is challenging to sit and think, to wait, to patiently watch something unfold without taking action. In that moment, it often feels like no progress is being made, and in our fast-paced world, this is a problem. If we aren't moving others will pass us by, deadlines will come and go, time will move forward. It might seem like if we aren't moving right along with it then we could easily be washed away like a leaf floating along in a river. But do you want to be floating lazily along, twirling and twisting in the tides until you get stuck in a bunch along the banks with all the other leaves, or do you aspire to instead be a branch? A branch that provides solidity and stability. A branch that over time can turn into petrified wood, lasting for centuries. Something that has solidified and now has a rich story to tell.

Being able to observe almost feels like a dying art. But if it disappears completely, we risk losing something incredibly important.

It is a 'Gift to Observe'.