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The Invisible Mentor Weekly Newsletter: Brain Food Wednesdays Number 85: The Art of Seeing
Dear Reader,
It’s hot in Toronto. Despite the heat, I’ve been taking long walks along the Toronto Waterfront. When was the last time you enjoyed the lazy days of summer. On my walks, I reflect and think about my life. Ideas sometimes come to me, so I’ll sit on one of the many benches and capture notes on my phone. It’s common for me to edit articles or even start writing blog posts there.
As I write this newsletter, I’m reminded of a blog post I wrote years ago, about the art of seeing. Are you always on the go, or do you take time to take in what’s going on around you? Years ago, I went to a lecture at the Toronto Camera Club. The guest speaker was a Toronto Star Photojournalist. He told us that taking the photo was easy, what was more difficult was setting up the shot.
“What’s going on here and how do I feel about it?”
He told us to ask the above question. As a photographer, you’re bringing your emotions into the process. When you’re walking or driving, what are you seeing and how do you feel about it. When you’re reading fiction, what are you reading, and how do you feel about it? I’ve always been an emotional reader, and it’s not always a good thing. Sometimes I get too caught up in the story, like I’m one of the characters.
Find two books to read on how to see. And it’s not necessarily about seeing with your eyes. Two books I appreciated are How to Look At Everything by David Finn & The Zen of Photography: How to Take Pictures With Your Mind’s Camera by Paul Lester. I enjoyed both these books.
[Please Read The Art of Seeing in a 24/7 World]
For people who don’t have the time to read several books on a topic, I’ve created a membership site, The Art of Learning. The price is heavily discounted as I build out the content. I create Bookish Notes for a series of books on a specific topic, then I group them together into a course. When you work your way through each course, you’ll have a good understanding of the topic. And if you want to go deeper, you’ll have a strong foundation on which you can build.
Two Programs to Help You With Personal Growth
Business Knowledge Accelerator: Read Like a Leader, Digest More Books
Art of Learning Membership Site
Ask Avil
The Art of Seeing
“What’s going on here and how do I feel about it?”
This means that you remove the dividing line between photographer (or amateur photographer) and subject. The other thing is that when you master the art of seeing what you are going to take a picture of, you hone your observation skills. And if you take photos of people, after a while you become skilled at accurately reading them.
How can you apply this to your life? Do you stand on the sidelines and watch life go by, or do you fully immerse yourself in life? Are you separate from this world or do you consider yourself to be a part of this world?
I’m going to do something new in this week’s edition of Brain Food Wednesday. Take a look at the photos, what are you seeing? And it’s not about my skill or lack of skill as a photographer. Spend time to observe what’s going on around you.
What I’m Reading
I’m really enjoying reading mysteries, thrillers, and detective stories. I must have read about seven of them over the weekend. It’s the lazy days of summer and it’s so hot outside. It’s the perfect time to get cozy with a book
Summer Reading List
- Future Mapping (read)
- Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
- The Airbnb Story: How Three Ordinary Guys Disrupted an Industry, Made Billions . . . and Created Plenty of Controversy by Leigh Gallagher
- Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, and Betrayal by Nick Bilton
- Levers: The Framework for Building Repeatability into Your Business by Amos Schwartzfarb
- Behind the Red Door: How Elizabeth Arden’s Legacy Inspired My Coming-of-Age Story in the Beauty Industry by Louise Claire Johnson
- Five Stars: The Communication Secrets to Get from Good to Great by Carmine Gallo
- I Got There: How a Mixed-Race Kid Overcame Racism, Poverty, and Abuse to Arrive at the American Dream by JT McCormick
- One Big Thing: Discovering What You Were Born to Do by Phil Howard Cooke
- Self Leadership and the One Minute Manager Revised Edition: Gain the Mindset and Skillset for Getting What You Need to Succeed by Ken Blanchard and Susan Fowler (read)
The Invisible Mentor Blog
The One Problem
The One Problem series I’ve been doing is slowly getting traction. In fact, I did an interview just a few hours ago. I’m finding interesting people to interview. People are sharing the interviews on social media and some of them are now reaching out to me to interview them. I think that’s news worth sharing. The videos are short, so they’re easy enough to listen to.
I can’t believe that I’ve published 25 podcast episodes already. This tells me it’s so important to take the first step. To achieve any goal, you have to act.
- The One Problem Interview: Hillary Sobel, Lawyer
- The One Problem: Janet Zaretsky, BS Brilliance Master
- The One Problem: Julie Foucht, Art of Feminine Marketing
- The One Problem: Evelyn Jerome Alexander, Magellan College Counseling
- The One Problem Interview with Rosalin Krieger, The Unstucker
- The One Problem Interview: Tetyana Dudnyk, Director, Technology Project Management Office
- The One Problem Interview: Maura Lustig, Transformational Coach
- The One Problem: Vicki Saunders, Founder SheEO
- Episode 17 The One Problem: Tara Hunt, Founder Truly Inc
- The One Problem Interview: Melanie Russell Talks About Partnership Agreements
- The One Problem Interview: Anthea Rossouw, Founder of Dreamcatcher
- Germain St. Denis, Consultant, Change Leadership: The One Problem Interview
- The One Problem Interview: Sandra Lisi, Leadership Coach
- The One Problem: Deena Baikowitz, Business & Career Coach
- The One Problem: Kelli Wingo, The One Problem Interview: Kelli Wingo, KMW Catalyst
- The One Problem: Patricia Roberts,Chief Operating Officer of the Gift of College
- The One Problem: The One Problem: Patti Pokorchak, Small Biz Sales Coach
- The One Problem: Adrienne Harris, Managing Partner, Portage Sales
- The One Problem: Kristy Wallace, CEO Ellevate Network
- The One Problem: Margye Solomon Talks about Aging and Relevance
- The One Problem: Deb Boulanger, Launch Lab for Women Entrepreneurs
- The One Problem: Sharon Horne Ellstrom – Stop Being Like Others, Be YOU
- The One Problem: Liz Kitchell from SheMoolah Talks Money Conversations
- The One Problem: Avil Beckford, Author of Digest 30 Books in 30 Days
- The One Problem: Interview With Kelly Daring, Author of Is Love Enough
Blog Posts to Read
The Art of Seeing in a 24/7 World
Spotting Patterns: Getting the Most from Reading Books
Product Alert
7 Day Reading Makeover Challenge
7 Day Reading Makeover Challenge
This is an affordable program to get started on leadership reading. Leaders read to learn what they need to know. You’ll also learn how to synthesize information.
Until Next Week,
Avil Beckford, Founder, The Invisible Mentor!
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