Jan 8/10: Focus

Jan 8/10: Focus, originally uploaded by susanvg.

While glasses help to focus my eyes, it takes more than glasses to focus my mind. Since I started taking photographs regularly my eyes have been focused on seeing things differently. I notice more and look longer.

When I was teaching my mind would be focused on particular topics the students were studying. All of a sudden I would notice in reading, in the world around me, ideas and objects related to them. One year the grade five class was studying the Middle Ages. On a trip to England all I saw were gargoyles, old churches, winding streets that were laid out so long ago. My photographs reflected this focus and I happily shared them with my students.

My mind's focus changes as I read, listen to music, work and talk with friends. Each of these activities can lead me off into unexpected tangents as curiosity gets piqued and I have new ideas to explore.