"The first question I ask myself when something doesn't seem to be beautiful is why do I think it's not beautiful. And very shortly you discover that there is no reason." -John CageWe look at a lot these days. Everything has images. In New York, I walk outside and, besides the intricate real image of the street, buildings, etc, I'm bombarded with images of advertisements, restaurant logos, T-shirt pictures, etc. There's so much visual input today that our definition of beauty is constantly re-shaping itself (and, sometimes, being shaped knowingly by advertisers).
If you have started meditating thanks to The Daily Zen or some other motivator, you've likely found yourself looking at things differently. There's a new hue to everything. A new appreciation for minutia, for the tiny details and little nuances. You might become overwhelmed by the idea of beauty; don't. Just step back and treat images as you'd treat thoughts during meditation: fleeting, subjective, and endlessly fascinating. These are just some tips to get you in the mode of re-examining your visual perspective so you can find beauty wherever.
Zoom in
I'm a photographer, which I think I've mentioned it in a couple posts here and there. Sometimes I'll sneak a personal photo into one of the posts. But for a while I took predominantly macro photos. This was mostly around 4 years ago when I first started taking meditation seriously and I was blown away by the little intricacies of flowers, rocks, trees, my dog, etc. Realizing the potential beauty of a small space allows you to see the infinite beauty of larger spaces.
Zoom out
The other end of the spectrum. Step back-- waaaay back. Look at patterns, shapes, and realize after having zoomed-in before how dense with visual information the world is. Check out this picture:
Zoom in enough, and zoom out enough, and you'll find beautiful similarities.
Perspective analysis
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. True-- if that's the case, what does the beholder matter? Is something any less beautiful because one person finds it more appealing than another? Of course not. Challenge the perspective you've developed unconsciously throughout your lifetime and you'll end up widening your visual boundaries in a creative way.
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. True-- if that's the case, what does the beholder matter? Is something any less beautiful because one person finds it more appealing than another? Of course not. Challenge the perspective you've developed unconsciously throughout your lifetime and you'll end up widening your visual boundaries in a creative way.
Mere-exposure
There's a term in psychology called the mere-exposure effect. Basically, the more you're exposed to something the more you like it. We adapt; we get used to things. In merely being exposed to something, you gain an affinity for it over time. Obviously, you want to surround yourself with what you personally consider beautiful and true to yourself. But if something's out of place, give it a chance. Sit with it and see what you can come to understand.
