✏️ TREE 145: Learn to see

If you need to draw a chair, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll draw something like this:

Most of the time that’s fine. We all know it’s a chair. But what if the shape of the chair you’re trying to communicate is this:

because the chair looks like this:

Now you need something more sophisticated than a little h.

Our thinking and communication is full of little h chair equivalents. Most of the time that’s fine. They help us move quickly to where we want to go in thought and conversation.

But when you want to have fresh ideas,
when you are trying to create change,
when you want to understand reality,
you need to see what the world around you actually is.

Seeing is a skill. It takes deliberate practice.

So let’s practice.

---

Fifth drawing

Take a pair of scissors and arrange them on a blank sheet of paper so that the handles and points are touching the edges, like this:

Now draw the blank spaces around the scissors.

This will force you to look at the actual shapes in front of you and how they relate to each other. Unlike the first four drawings, you will probably find this somewhat difficult and frustrating.

Most of this week you were remembering what you already know how to do. Today you are learning a new skill. If you persevere and practice, you will be able to do something not many people can. You will be able to actually see what is in front of you.

1. Today’s delightful circle creature is by Katerina Pavlakis, The Intuitive Cook and guest author of TREE 81–85.

2. Thanks for taking part this week. I hope you keep drawing and writing on paper. If you want to take your drawing further, please get in touch. I’ll be happy to help you find your next steps.

3. Finally, you may have wondered about the size of this little FOREST. Here are the numbers. TREE went to 193 subscribers today. Around one third of the subscribers, 60–70 people, open the email on any given day. This is a wonderful privilege and a responsibility I take seriously. And it’s one of my favourite things that I do. If you’re enjoying TREE and want to help me do one of my favourite things, please share these emails with someone you think would enjoy them.

Happy weekend
Jeff

If you put a tenth of the effort into drawing that Lorde puts into performing – have you seen her?! – you will soon be doing some really useful thinking and communicating.

The Memory of TREE playlist – every song from every email: