As artists, it's easy for us to look elsewhere for inspiration and forget that there are places unexplored in our own homes. I like to remind myself of this every so often and search for something obvious that I've never really looked at.
I have never been so attached to a pair of slippers in my life. In fact, I'd most likely frame them before I even considered the garbage. They're one of my theater acquisitions (when you work backstage, your house slowly becomes furnished with stuff from shows you worked on) and were worn by one of my favorite actresses/people. Working with her and getting to know her as an actual human being was an amazing experience. Oh, and they're from Anthropology, a place I will never be able to afford.
So wouldn't it seem only natural to take a closer look at something that means so much to me? Nope. Of course not. They're just slippers, right? It got me thinking, why keep all this stuff if I'm not going to take a closer look. If I'm not going to pay attention to the little details, what's the point?
Look at the stitching and how it's slowly coming apart, but even after years of wear, it mostly holds strong. And the hole, it's been there forever now, never growing in size, just big enough to slip my big toe through. The rest of the slipper is still in great shape, it's just this one little detail that gives away it's age.
So here's a new project for you. Find something you see every day, but never notice. Write a story about it, take a photograph, draw a picture, doesn't matter. Just pay attention. Go somewhere you've never been without leaving your home. I can say with all confidence that I've never taken such a close look at the hole in the toe of my favorite slippers.
I might just turn this into a blog "carnival" or meme or whatever you want to call it. We'll see how round one goes.
Go somewhere new without leaving home.