Observing and Listening have become almost superpowers in the contemporary world. Such pursuits are almost the opposite of (though are often mistaken for) ‘consuming’, because to truly see and/or hear takes as much patience and skill as any act of creation. They are the wells that feed creation. Processes —both of observation and research— culminate in the process of making, which is, always, one of translation.
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The above was born of a comment left on another artist’s blog; I’ve adapted it to a more generalized sentiment, as I find it to be true.
Apologies for the longer stretches between posts, lately. I’m in need of a schedule to stay on track here, as I re-learn living, and balance with the full time gig/ I’d rather expected more time for writing while I was upstate, but lots of family goings-on took precedence. Happy Summer, and thanks for reading and looking!
e daggar art: THE MUSEUM 
By “listening” do you mean more than giving mindless nods and uh-huhs while staring incessantly at one’s phone? Because if so, then that would be a truly revolutionary practice. If adopted en masse, it would either lead to a collective re-awakening or mass chaos.
Yes, having your phone put away (or face down on mute), even better, if you’re having an actual conversation with someone. Why is it so hard? Few people are expecting important interruptions all the time, especially if you’ve set aside time to spend with someone.
You speak blasphemy!
Seriously though, it’s extremely off-putting to have people continuously playing on their phones during conversations. Kind of dissuades one from wanting to spend time with said phone-addicts.
It’s something we are all dealing with. Awareness and empathy are key.
real authentic attentiveness, devoid of agenda, is the new super-currency.
Well said! Thanks for this post and the link.