People watching is one of my favourite things to do, noticing little details and wondering about who people are and what they are up to gets my creative brain whirring.
It makes me feel kinder about people and the human race generally for some reason.
Taking a moment and wondering why they chose that jumper, does it give them confidence, does it lift them when they are feeling sad, did they rush out the house this morning, why are they in a rush, is that their favourite coffee, what’s in that bag, where are they going, are those shoes comfortable, are they annoyed with that inside out umbrella, what’s their dogs name, why are they all dressed up, is there an interview or a party, are they nervous , are they excited, what are they thinking about?
The questions are endless.
Trying to doodle them is a next level up, remembering those little details, popping them down on paper, capturing their moment in time, capturing what stuck out to you.
Noticing.
Noticing each other, popping our heads up for a moment can be a gentle way of connecting with the humanity of our fellow humans for a tiny moment.
It’s easy to feel disheartened with the “state of the world” but it is impossible to stay in the “humans are awful” mindset when you are remembering the details of someone’s fun jumper on a rainy day waiting for a train.
Noticing is a great tool for creativity and as I’ve found over the last few years for connecting with my empathy. Two for the price of one!
Doodle Challenge
This is a great exercise for learning how to draw people , ( drawing from life is always magic) , being creative without having to think anything up, practising your doodling and also feeling a bit kinder and who doesn’t need more of that!