“The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.” — Dorothea Lange
What if I told you that you carry a magical device with you wherever your go. It can record reality, but it can also create one. It can capture stories, but it can also trigger the creation of new ones. It can help you remember, but it can also make you forget everything you thought you knew. A device that can document the world, and at the same time help you construct the world you imagine.
When we talk about sharpening our observational skills, boosting creativity, and being more imaginative, we aim for our mind. This is where the real magic happens. Essentially, you really don’t need any external device for that.
However, for most of us these basic abilities which every child naturally has, are not trivial to practice. With our childhood we sometimes leave behind the ability to disconnect from the concrete things that occupy our minds, and just observe the world and rediscover it. For some reason, the simple act of holding a camera (even the most simple one integrated in your smartphone) makes us focused on discovering little treasures. As if the camera’s viewfinder is literally a tool for finding new views.
Holding a camera in your hand and walking the world with the intent to capture a piece of the it and make it your own, has an even greater power. It’s like wearing a magical glasses that help you see things that were there all the time, but somehow you managed to overlook.
When I started to develop the concept of seempli it was clear to me that most of the Seeds will result in taking a photograph – trying to capture what you see or what you imagine visually using a camera. Is seeing the world using a camera mandatory for this self-practice? Absolutely not. You can observe the world and come up with amazing revelations without recording them visually. Some may prefer to describe the treasures they find verbally, or draw something inspired by their findings. Everything goes, really. However, a camera is still a great tool for recording what you find instantly. It doesn’t only remind you that you should open your eyes and mind and look around you. It also enables you to reflect back on what you’ve found. You take this memory with you, and then you can use it as raw material for creating or imagining new worlds.
Try doing few seeds and then look back on what you have captured. They might not be great artistic creations, or the best photographs, but that’s not really the goal. The insights you’ve captured provide a small hatch to how you see the world. With time, this hatch will continue to grow and will become larger, until it will be the world itself.
seempli you soon,
Lidor