one thing I observed
one thing I thought of
Creativity is based on our ability to see things differently, and seeing things differently is naturally associated with changing perspective. “Change your perspective” has become a motto, sometimes even a cliché, when asking people to be more creative, specifically in motivational talks and in personal development activities.
The truth is that changing perspectives literally is indeed a way to see things differently — but it is only one way. Another effective way to do so — a way which is often ignored — is zooming in and out.
Zooming in is means, in many cases, getting closer to what you are observing, such that its context becomes less and less apparent. By ignoring the context, your mind is free to fill the gap — the background story — with new, imaginary details. Zooming out is getting farther and allowing broader context to be part of what you observe. The new, broader context can also affect the meaning your mind gives to what you see.
The face-like object I captured above is merely a detail I came across in the street. To see this detail differently and turn it into a living creature, I only had to get close enough so the object would block the context. And without a backdrop, this magic just seamlessly happened.
one thing to go
- Zoom in and zoom out to see the things you observe differently and allow your mind to wrap them in different stories.
- Use zoom in and zoom out when observing a challenge or an opportunity — not only when watching physical objects.