The sleeping senses

We can often find ourselves apparently "bored" or feeling without inspiration, not because nothing around us ever changes, but simply because of the way we filter what we do see, hear and feel.

We become desensitised in a way to the many changes and motions around us, that could be sources of inspiration, the tiny sparks that fire off a wild new idea or the kick start we need to continue a long term creative project with fresh energy.

Designer and Art Director Alan Fletcher sums this up eloquently in his book "The Art of Looking Sideways" -

"...we also only notice things which are directly relevant to our daily business. In consequence, we tend to reduce our environment to visual muzak - a perceptual symphony of shapes, colours and patterns.

Blinkered by habit we glance around rather than look with acuity. In effect the eye sleeps until the mind wakes it with a question..."

So in fact it can be our eyes that are sleeping rather than our minds, which is what we may usually first focus on.

And following this train of thought, this obviously can extend to our other major senses. Because we're focused on our series of daily habits and routines, we close our senses to the constant array of stimuli we're showered with.

Now whilst this can be a good thing - if we attempted to respond to every single source of stimulation at once our minds would probably disintegrate - it can also unconsciously force us into predictable, uninspiring and repetitive behaviours. If we follow exactly the same series of actions every day, then it's likely we'll have exactly the same responses and feel the same sense of boredom and "here we go again"...

So make the effort each day to focus on one of your senses and really fully experience all that's going on around you. Even doing this for a short period - maybe while you take a morning shower, on your journey to work or school, or whilst having a meal - can really help to get you back in touch with the sensual world surrounding you, and of course be useful in triggering off your imagination and creative ideas as well.