Take a Look Around

I tend to spend the dog days of summer cooped up in the house. Extreme heat doesn't suit me well, and shorts seem to have left my wardrobe a few years ago. Let's just say I've been a bit of a hermit the past two months.

However, it seems that Fall is starting to ease its way into the Lowcountry, and I am re-emerging from my hideaway. I spent a few hours this past Sunday strolling downtown by myself. I covered most of the quiet residential streets in Charleston’s historic district, and I was reminded of the importance of looking around; of really observing.

I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but as a culture, we really are constantly inundated with distractions which keep us from experiencing the world outside our own. I am constantly having to remind myself to PUT THE PHONE DOWN…

Which brings me to my point. Go outside. Go alone. Leave your cell phone in your pocket. Put your worries aside for a few moments. Look around you. Here's what I saw:

A tiny bed of moss and ferns growing on the base of a grand oak. It's beautiful. The colors are vibrant and lively, and the variety of textures make the image so tactile. I carried the image of that small, beautiful mossy place with me throughout the day, and I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to really appreciate it had I not followed the steps above. 

As a designer, this process is extremely important to me. I feel that I must see. I must be aware of those quiet things that refuse to compete with social media and hollow chatter. It is through this process that I stay inspired. I won't likely use this image for a design project. I might even forget about it in a week, but I allowed my brain a moment to quiet the noise, experience the world around and be free.

I hope you'll consider doing the same. Maybe it will spark something new within you.