#15. Shape Awe Walk
Get into (a) shape as you go for a walk.
Instructions
Pick a simple shape—circle, square, etc.
Go for a walk (or look around inside).
Capture the shape in the wild by drawing, photographing, or other method.
Review, combine, and display your collection!
(Sidenote up top: I’ll refer to “walking” as moving through outdoor spaces on two feet, but make creative adjustments based on your abilities, needs, and conditions. Maybe your “walking” is exploring hikes on Google Earth or scanning the room you’re in slowly with your eyes.)
Here in New York, the weather has warmed up slightly and the vaccine rollouts are slowly altering the shape of life. Combine that with the respite from the usual OVER 65 MILLION tourists that annually visit, and you get a nice opportunity to look around, rather than just dodge and curse people.
Image: Before Bean Dad was Bean Dad he had a good maxim about walking in a city—”Keep moving, and get out of the way.”
The benefits of walking and paying attention to the world around you are numerous—and fall into the obvious intelligence that my friend calls “well, duh jerk”. Japanese “forest bathing” is one option, and for more step-by-step instructions, check out the Greater Good “Awe Walk” practice. There’s even a good satirical piece on McSweeneys about the overstatement of walking: “I’m a Short Afternoon Walk and You’re Putting Way Too Much Pressure on Me”.
Image: r/wholesomememes almost redeems Reddit
Finding a specific thing to look for—be it birds or even just a simple shape—gives that jumpy monkey mind something simple “to do” and focuses the eyes on something other than your phone. And maybe, just maybe, there’s a chance to enjoy being alive, of having so far survived a global pandemic. It’s no small feat, and we know that globally COVID-19 will be around for months and years, so take the wins where you can.
Image: Monty Don, the champion of life.
If you need some musical accompaniment, you can go with the obvious walking about in circles songs like this 1 hour loop of Post Malone or, for the 90s kids, Mike Doughty’s song (sorry, no 1 hour loop on this one). And then, refreshed, there’s an opportunity to return to helping transform the world into a place that’s a little kinder, just, and more equitable. Even Monty agrees with this.
Image: Weekend to-dos may include weeding the garden—and protesting police violence.
As always, please take care of yourself and others out there. The world is a hard place.
**** The bottom part *****
Check us out on Instagram @lookandmakeart — tag this prompt with #lookandmake15
Want to share what you did? YAY! Email with your name as you want it to appear. Archives of some or all messages will live on lookandmake.art
Have a prompt you want to share? DOUBLE YAY! Email me!
You made it to the end. Thank you.