Or, the art of noticing
Happy Sunday. One of the themes I touch on fairly regularly is the concept of attention, which in my view, is related to, but not the same as mindfulness. In the context of this essay, mindfulness is a prerequisite for attention, while attention requires conscious effort that goes beyond the state of mindfulness.
What's with the obsession with attention, you might wonder? Well, I think and write about attention – you might even say I pay attention to the concept of attention – because attention is the interface through which we experience reality. In other words, attention enables us to notice what's worth noticing.
It could come as no surprise to you to learn we're in an attention crisis. Our attention spans have been steadily declining for years and scholars believe the primary (but perhaps not the only) culprit is that which we all possess, which you might be holding in your hand right now, which might be the thing you're using to read this.
We have the personal computing revolution to thank for various advancements in many facets of our lives, and yet it might be the single biggest contributing factor to our shrinking brains, diminished capacity for information retention, and increasing propensity for distraction.
This is an unfortunate state of affairs, but in a world where screens and algorithms are ubiquitous, the art of noticing what's in your immediate vicinity – what's around you, what's in front of you – is more important than ever.
I don't just say that because we need to know when a car's barrelling towards us while crossing the street, which we do. Noticing is important because it's our creative superpower.
Noticing is what enables us to latch on to the stories worth telling.
Noticing is what enables us to see that the leaves on the trees are turning into a beautiful orange colour.
Noticing is what enables us to hear, to really hear the melody of birdsong.
Noticing is what helps us to enjoy the smell of petrichor on a rainy autumn afternoon.
Noticing is what signals to us what emotional state we're in.
Noticing is what enables us to spotlight the problems that plague society
Noticing is what enables us to take in the reality all around, like the thing in front of us, begging for our attention, waiting for us to make it into a work of art.
My new album, Hope on the Horizon, is out everywhere now. Not a fan of streaming and want to support my music? You can download a digital version or buy a CD now here. Thank you for listening, spreading the word, and reaching out to share your thoughts. I appreciate it. Have a great week.