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Exercising the senses

When I started writing, I discovered that it gave me ways to look at things I was learning and see if I could share them with other people.

When I tried drawing, I started seeing the structures and forms of things.

When I stumbled into giving my first presentations, I felt the dynamism of structure and conversation.

When I started exploring photography, I found myself looking at light and pattern and tone.

When I learned to sew, I couldn’t help but be entranced by the fabrics and seams of people’s clothes and accessories.

When I got into gardening, I became more aware of the seasons, sunshine, different kinds of plants, and different types of soil.

Now that I’m starting with woodworking, things around me are treasure-troves of lessons about woods, joints, and finishes. There is surprising beauty in a door when you think about how the panels float in a gap so that the wood can expand or contract. The smoothness of our shelves makes me smile.

I don’t expect much of my hobbies—just that they change my world.

How do your interests shape your experiences?

Short URL: http://sachachua.com/blog/p/7208

4 Responses to “Exercising the senses”

  1. Great post Sacha!

    I have noticed much the same thing. Probably the biggest example (though perhaps a bit cliche) is programming. It has changed the way I look at the world. With my other hobbies, however, I have noticed similar things. I took up singing a few years ago and it has greatly increased my appreciation for music. Doing 3d modeling changed the way I look at shapes.

  2. Nice post.

    Yes, hobbies have changed the way I look at the world, too. But, I haven’t really thought about it clearly enough, until I read this post.
    Photography is teaching me to learn to look at things from various perspectives.
    I’ve started drawing a few comics and I see the funny side of things more often, now.

    Thanks.

  3. I’ve noticed some of that as well; I’ve mostly been doing macro photography lately (roses, especially), and it’s a lot of fun.

    I’ve certainly noticed other effects; using Linux extensively, for example, means that I tend to segment my work onto virtual desktops, which is effectively an aftermarket addon for Windows (I use Dexpot under Windows; it’s close but not quite as nice).

    Source control tools can also shape the way you think about writing code (think git vs. Subversion).

  4. And programming languages and libraries shape the way you think about problems, of course. =)

    Cool stuff!

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