TheBanyanTree: seeing

[Theta Brentnall]

This is a great exercise, Tom.  The role of Camera is like the role of 
Artist, because when you draw something (even if you don't feel like you 
draw "well enough," as the too-judgmental world might decree) you have 
to look at it intensely.  I encourage my friends who don't consider 
themselves to be artists to still keep a drawing journal.  Even if no 
one else ever sees it, every time they turn of a page of their drawings, 
they will remember vividly the look of the item, the time of day, the 
feel of the air, the smells and exactly how they felt at that moment.

As my first drawing teacher said, looking and seeing are two different 
things.  We spend all our waking hours looking.  For our souls' sake we 
need to spend some of that time really /seeing/.

Theta

On 11/3/2010 7:28 PM, Tom Smith wrote:
> Along the edge of a mountain meadow, we were randomly paired
> and assigned Photographer and Camera roles.  The Photographer half
> of each pair guided his or her Camera person with hands on
> shoulders from behind.  The "Cameras" were to keep their eyes
> closed until their shoulders were tapped, and close them when
> tapped again.  After a while, roles were reversed.  As a Camera,
> I found myself enthralled with every instant of viewing that my
> Photographer briefly allowed, and at the second tap closed my eyes
> ravenously hungering for more.  I had never noticed before how
> exciting tree bark could be.  I left this experience feeling wealthy
> beyond measure, knowing I could look at anythine I wished for as
> as long as I liked.
>
> image at:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/9482738@N07/5143830489/
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