Sequinned Shoes by Sandra Byles
Last week in Photo by Design we were noticing textures and patterns. Patterns have repeating elements and are found everywhere in nature. When we make things, we often mimic the patterns found in nature.
Sandra, creator of the Reflections and Nature Blog, posted the image above of sequinned shoes and noted that it was the texture she first noticed, but when she pulled back she saw the patterns.Part of making meaning in our lives is noticing patterns and making connections. And, this means that we often need to pull back to see the patterns – take a different perspective.
Look for patterns; don’t get lost in the details. What is needed is not more specialized scholarship, but more interdisciplinary vision. Make connections; break old patterns of parochial thought. ~ Joseph Campbell
* In relationships, we tend to isolate a behaviour and focus solely on that, rather than pulling back and seeing the patterns that explain (but do not excuse) the behavior.
* In effective collaborations or even conversations, we share our individual experiences, make connections, and create new understanding around a topic.
* In art or any type of invention, the artist notices patterns and makes connections to create something new.
On the other hand, the details are important too. Here’s where the yin yang comes in. The details offer another perspective. They show us the wonder underneath the familiarity. They help us take the labels off.
It takes many perspectives to get a taste of the whole.
I seem to recognize those shoes, Kim! I like what you have written in connection with them. Your last phrase: “It takes many perspectives to get a taste of the whole”. This is so important to remember as we connect to others and pull back to see the bigger picture. For none of us are the small detail that may be apparent at any moment in time.
So is it also with life experiences which come our way. It is important to remember to disentangle ourselves from what is first apparent and rise above the details to take in the whole.
Dazzling shoes (how interesting to think who would wear these, and where?) and beautifully photographed by Sandra. Thanks for the reminder that it takes many angles, up close and zoomed out, to get the whole story.
I liked how Sandra became aware of the patterns in those shoes after noticing the texture. Funny, but I saw the patterns first and just assumed the texture 🙂