Why do most of us pass through familiar places without remembering what we have just seen? Perhaps our minds are occupied elsewhere. Today, our attention is divided even further by phone calls, music, messages and the endless distractions that fit into the palm of our hand.
Human beings possess an extraordinary power of observation, yet we seem to exercise it less and less.
How often does a city dweller pause on a clear night simply to look up at the stars?
How many of us notice the rainbow colours shimmering in a thin film of oil on water, or the tiny grains of sand on the roadside sparkling like stars under a streetlight?
The natural world rewards those who pay attention. The leaves of different trees reveal countless shades of green, yet when children paint a landscape, they often reach for a single green crayon. Tree trunks are usually coloured brown. However, look closely at the trunk of an old tree. It is rarely just brown. Grey, black, silver, patches of moss and weathered textures blend together to create colours that no paint box labels.
Our minds become conditioned by habit. Ask someone to draw a mountain, and more often than not they will sketch a triangle, although mountains rarely resemble one. We begin to draw not what we see, but what we think we know.
As we walk, we should absorb our surroundings. Put away distractions and allow our eyes to linger.
Notice the people who keep our neighbourhoods clean. Observe how their uniforms, tools and methods may differ from one locality to another. Watch the changing seasons reflected in familiar trees; the first tender leaves of spring, flowers that quietly appear. Observe the faces we pass each day and the subtle changes that often go unnoticed.
The eyes must see, but the mind must also register. Observation is not merely looking; it is paying attention.
Only then do we truly begin to observe a great deal simply by watching.