#24: Anthropomorphize It
Slap some googly eyes or a nametag on things around you.
Instructions
Get (or make) some googly eyes and/or moustaches to affix to objects (with permission, of course).
Alternatively, get out the Ol’ Brother P-Touch and replace corporate names with your own selections.
Marvel at the confusion—and potential delight—of other people at your behavior.
Everything is Alive
Anthropomorphization is not just an S.A.T. word—the practice of assigning human characteristics to non-human entities—but a quite natural part of the human experience, and allegedly activates the “social brain”. Making even more of the world human-centered and dominated has a downside, but I’d argue that recognizing the aliveness of other beings and things helps us feel a little less isolated and potentially gives us a chance to be in greater respect for other entities. Maybe.
Years ago, many people got swept up in “Marie Kondo-ing” their environments — “tidying up” and shedding some of the unnecessary stuff-ness of modern life. One of the more interesting side-notes of that practice was the quiet link to Shinto beliefs:
“...Shinto does include the belief that kami — or the sacred — exists in everything, according to the BBC. That doesn’t mean everything in life is sacred and should be worshipped, says the BBC, but everything contains an essence, whether good or bad. Spirits, whether sacred or not, exist in all concepts important to life, such as wind, rain, mountains, trees, rivers, and fertility, according to The Japan Guide”
(I also love the idea that the suburban family downsizing the garbage in their garage was unwittingly participating in a spiritual tradition.)
Put Some (Googly) Eyes on Stuff
I was lucky enough to go to a CreativeMornings event in 2018 with the artist Jon Burgerman. He shared some of his creative tricks, which include drawing eyes on stickers and then photographing those in the world around him.
Having fun and re-imagining the world around us reminds both to not take things for granted, and to not take things too seriously.
So slap a new name over a logo, put some googly eyes on something, or whatever else you need to do to remember that you are alive, and connected to other things. Even if it appears that those things aren’t currently alive, they were designed and created and manufactured by countless other people. And that’s worth honoring and enjoying.
**** The bottom part *****
Check us out on Instagram @lookandmakeart — tag this prompt with #lookandmake24
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! Reach out!
You made it to the end. Thank you.