To Observe
I’ve noticed a particularly insidious (sometimes) way I take in a piece of art.
Sometimes I look at something purely in my perspective.
At that moment, I make judgment calls on if something looks “right” or “wrong.”
In critique, this is fine, especially if you call it out.
Otherwise, I wonder, why we do this?
After the quality of work passes a certain point, making judgment calls when we aren’t critiquing is a waste of time. A better position is to take up the place of the observer.
“What does this art have to teach us?”
And leave it like that.
What I’ve found when I do this is I get a whole different perspective, and I find insights in my life.
It turns art into a gift.
How do I make the switch? Well, I try to remember a mantra: “It doesn’t have to be for you.”
And leave it at that.
From the desk of Adam Thomas 