The art of paying attention

Good Morning 🌞

Welcome to another day of Joy Hour

The art of paying attention

Key ideas:

• “Drawing helps us slow down, look closely, and connect with each other and the world.”

• Public libraries are a social service epicenter of a city.

• We have so many information coming at us that we can’t process it. That’s why much of what we see around the world is our own expectations, patterns and visual shorthand.

• “Drawing is looking, and looking is loving”

• DrawTogether started as a simple drawing class for kids during lockdown and turned into a big hit. It showed us all how drawing can be a fun escape and a way to deal with tough emotions. Pretty cool, right?

• We can all be better at looking. If we slow down, pay attention and really look. We will fall back in love with the world and everyone in it.

A little about her:

Wendy MacNaughton’s work is based in the practices of drawing, social work, and storytelling. She combines the practice of deep looking, listening, and drawing to create stories of often overlooked people, places, and things. Wendy has worked on varied projects across mediums and fields, and in collaboration with numerous groups and individuals, but one thing stays consistent: Wendy uses drawing as a vehicle for connection.

Some helpful links:

• If you want to follow her on Instagram

• If you want to buy her new book “How to say goodbye”

• If you want to subscribe to her weekly newsletter

• Check this open directory of Women Who Draw

DrawTogether Classrooms is a non-profit program that offers educators resources, support and training to help them easily integrate arts and social emotional learning into their learning environments around the world.

The art of Noticing by Rob Walker

Notice more, and notice more joy in the everyday.

“Attention is a precious resource, one we waste in stupid ways. And attention is a muscle, one we can easily develop. In this refreshingly practical book, Rob Walker gives us 131 ways to treasure and improve our ability to see”

-Seth Godin, Author of This is Marketing