the art of noticing the ordinary
This is an introduction to slowing down and noticing what is already around you. Inside, you’ll find simple practices that take only a few minutes yet open the door to the quiet beauty of the ordinary. May these moments ripple gently through your days.
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Your supply list for this mini course:
- An outdoor space you can revisit for three days in a row. This could be a local park, beach, backyard, your mother-in-law's garden, an empty field across the street, or even the parking lot at work. The key is simply that it's outdoors.
- A sense of curiosity. The art of noticing the ordinary is directly tied to curiosity. When we wonder what we might find, we slow down and notice details we typically overlook in everyday things.
- A way to document your observations and wonderings. Options include journaling, sketching, creating a Word document or Google Doc, making lists in your Notes app, taking photos, recording voice memos, or making videos about your discoveries. This documentation is for your eyes only, unless you choose to share it with others. Feel free to express yourself in whatever way feels natural.
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EACH DAY CAN BE FOUND HERE :
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🗝️ *I recommend completing one practice each day for three consecutive days to fully experience each exercise. Of course, feel free to adapt this schedule to whatever works best for you.
To begin, simply click the arrow to expand each day's practice.*
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- 🪶 DAY ONE : Finding Nature’s Treasure
- 🦗DAY TWO : Sitting Still, Softening Your Gaze
- ☁️ DAY THREE : Looking Up
- 🌼 DAY FOUR : The Dandelion Way
For your inspiration:
INVITATION : A poem by Mary Oliver
Oh do you have time
to linger
for just a little while
out of your busy
and very important day
for the goldfinches
that have gathered
in a field of thistles
for a musical battle,
to see who can sing
the highest note,
or the lowest,
or the most expressive of mirth,
or the most tender?
Their strong, blunt beaks
drink the air
as they strive
melodiously
not for your sake
and not for mine
and not for the sake of winning
but for sheer delight and gratitude -
believe us, they say,
it is a serious thing
. . .