“Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else. ”

Leonardo da Vinci

I absolutely love it when something magical happens randomly in the frame while photographing. Sometimes, I am convinced it’s the universe talking to me. Chance is an informed state of being. I post this image because it speaks volumes to me about the power of our curiosity and how that impacts creativity. There is a reason kids are so creative! It is because they haven’t lost their ability to wonder.

On a recent trip to San Francisco I visited the De Young Museum to take in the David Hockney: A Bigger Exhibition. It was a warm and sunny afternoon in the plaza and I was able to take some photographs in the gardens. I was exploring the light streaming through the monumental columns of the Music Concourse. These are powerful architectural forms with strong lines and contrast. The lines of perspective are connecting the pictorial space with ultimately the subject matter. The Neoclassical style is all about revival of ideas from the past which in the context of my work with the concept of love is also fuel for thought. Some ideas are timeless and never grow old.

I was preparing and thinking through the composition of this shot when the moment happened with the boy in the frame. I decided to keep the resulting photo unaltered or cropped because the story, here,  is more important. I am capturing a moment in time with an emotion that is timeless. It is the dialogue between the artist and the viewer within the picture that is important to me. We are co-creating in this photo. That’s a beautiful thing. Isn’t that what love is really all about anyways?

This little boy was clearly very interested in my process and wondering what I was doing. Who knows what thoughts were going on in his mind as I was moving around and relocating the letters. I am finding that people are very interested in my process when I am creating. He wanted to be a part of the picture and in the moment we were connecting in a silent kind of way. Wonderful things happen in life when you are mindful and paying attention to what the moment has to offer. It’s all about the lost art of observation and just paying attention to what is going on around you. That is so fundamental to creativity, the artistic process and life in general.

The following is an excellent article by Faisal Hoque. He  draws lessons from Leonardo Da Vinci on the power of observation in creativity. I hope you enjoy it too.

www.fastcompany.com/3024779/dialed/how-curiosity-cultivates-creativity