Creative Director: Observation

I Create: Creative Director of My Life

“Does she know how to talk?” Is a phrase I’d heard multiple times as a kid. Because I was so quiet, a ‘loud’ kid would direct that question to a friend or classmate of mine, on a given day. I’ve definitely spent most of my life observing. I would always sit and watch what was going on around me. Observation was safer, than drawing attention to myself by talking or giving an opinion.

I’ve always liked observing everything. I think I’m good at it, for the most part. You get familiar with noticing things about people, how they act, body language, the difference between what is said and what actually gets done. Tone, emotion, meaning behind words and actions. And then also loyalties, morals, habits, commitments. Deciding: what people do I admire? What can be observed about them? What character traits do I value? How do they carry themselves? Someone who has advice that sounds True: what can I observe about them and how they gathered such wisdom? What habits did they commit to?

From all the ‘evidence files’ of what people have done and what they have shown is possible, what can I observe? I’ve always valued observation for awareness and noticing everything around me. I’ve also made note of observing specific things that I want to stay away from, or ways of acting or treating people that I definitely want to stay away from. Observation extends to how people in the vicinity of another, feel. The energy of one person affecting those around them. That’s often where the most valuable feedback comes from.

I’m very often saying to my boys, ‘pay attention to everything going on around you. Always be aware of what’s going on.’

How does this relate to creatively directing our own life? By observation, we are choosing what we do and what we do not, want to be part of our experience. We are choosing the morals and values we hold along our journey. The kind of person we want to be, becomes clearer through observing others. While we are creating the life we want, we can pay attention so we can choose what is important to us, either along the journey, or as part of the experience of one of the ‘goals’ we are aspiring to. We want to actively choose how we treat people along the way, maybe even help others. But never stepping on someone or putting them down. Observation always gives us feedback. I always (quite harshly 😅) reflect on my own actions or how I handled myself, based on the feedback that observation has provided. And I will continue to use this information as lessons as to how I’m doing and how I can improve.

Until next week,

Devon