Creative Journaling (2) See & Not-See

To see and not to see (to borrow from Hamlet), that is the issue for today, so much contained in so small an expression. 

To See:  involves perception by the physical eye, to look, to view, as well as multiple levels of knowing, understanding, insight, experiencing, to discovery, to visualize or imagine mental pictures, to become aware, to recognize, to examine or watch, to care for someone or something, to meet or visit, to grasp a new concept, to inquire, to focus attention, just to mention a few common meanings. 

And then there is Not-To-See:  implies blindness, dimness, something hidden or ignored, visionless, distorted, askew, blinkered, ghostly, blurred perhaps, indistinct, invisible, concealed, mysterious, covert, undefined, veiled. 

So you may well ask why this can be of interest.  We take a walk, and we see things or think about new ideas and these can spark insights and enjoyment.  So what is the advantage of taking a walk and not seeing the beauty of the world around us?  What is the asset in that?

Consider the case of the dominant eye.  In a normal situation, we can assume that we have two eyes capable of normal vision, and that they are arranged somewhat apart on the face.  And when an object is placed in front of these eyes, each eye will send a separate image to the brain, and the brain will resolve the two images into one (a stereo-optical, dimensional image).  You can see this for yourself if you conduct a simple experiment:  Make a circle with your thumb and first finger. With both eyes open look at an object on the wall or in the distance, and centre it inside the circle of your fingers. Next, close one eye, and then the other.  Notice that with one of your eyes, the object jumps outside the circle. If the object seemed to move when you closed your left eye, then you have left eye dominance. If the object moved more when your right eye was closed, then your right eye is the dominant one.

How is this useful or interesting?  Certainly, the part of the brain controlling the image perception is using much of the information from the dominant eye, and that is extremely useful in a practical way.  However, even more interesting might be the non-dominant image, of the space revealed when the eye “jumped” to the new position.  Often new insights can be obtained by considering the surrounding areas, the “context,” so to speak, of the main subject.  It can highlight relationships which were not before apparent.  It can reveal new shapes and patterns between two apparently different or unrelated things.  We need to be careful that in focusing too tightly, we don’t also lose the opportunity for creative insight.  Often, the most interesting insights emerge in that cross-over area where two different things rub together.  That is where the spark occurs, where the flash and excitement can be found.  Where the seeing and not-seeing come together.  Where creative insights live.

Some Words of Encouragement:

·        Stop every little while and notice what’s all around. [CR]

·        Be sensitive to the rhythms of the unseen as well as the seen, and wonder abut their meanings. [CR]

·        Fire and Ice by Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I’ve tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.