The Art of Noticing

Today I noticed that after a year of recording the Art of Noticing podcast, it’s time to retire it in favor of spending the same creative time on other ventures that better match my creative goals, rather than continuing “just because I’ve been doing it so far.”

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that there are two main reasons to do anything you’re not outright required to do: 1) because it’s your job in some way (and in some way helps you earn a living) or 2) for joy. As creators, we need to carefully balance the two and always put our limited creative resources where they will serve us — and the world — best.

WANT MORE?Members get extra episodes of the podcast, extra companion blog posts (see below), and more every week … all for the price of a fancy coffee. Learn about membership here.

Today I noticed that the best way to truly see the value of and best ways to do something is to stop doing that thing entirely for a while. When I return to that thing, even if it felt important when I stopped, I sometimes realize there's no point in doing it at all anymore.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that taking a step back and allowing ourselves to disengage from a practice or pursuit can provide needed perspective to reevaluate its worth and potentially let go of what no longer serves us.

WANT MORE?Members at johnnybtruant.substack.com get extra episodes of the podcast, behind-the-scenes peeks, and access to my members-only One-Drink Book Club podcast (listen to a sample episode here) … all for the price of a fancy coffee. Learn about membership here.

Today I noticed that when I write a blog post, I sometimes think it will be incoherent or not that good, but when I'm at the end and read them fully, they're always much, much better than I expected.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that we can be poor judges of our own work in the midst of creating it. By persisting through self-doubt, the final product often reveals itself as more coherent and impactful than we anticipated.

WANT MORE?Members at johnnybtruant.substack.com get extra episodes of the podcast, behind-the-scenes peeks, and access to my members-only One-Drink Book Club podcast (listen to a sample episode here) … all for the price of a fancy coffee. Learn about membership here.

Today I noticed that on expressways embankments, the grass appears to have been mowed almost vertically, or at least at extreme angles. I'd think the mowers would tip over.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that there are often ingenious solutions to challenges we're unaware of that defy our assumptions about apparent limitations or risks.

WANT MORE?Members at johnnybtruant.substack.com get extra episodes of the podcast, behind-the-scenes peeks, and access to my members-only One-Drink Book Club podcast (listen to a sample episode here) … all for the price of a fancy coffee. Learn about membership here.

Today I noticed that sometimes, it's actually not best to "get to work and get it done." Sometimes, the drive to plow through work is counterproductive, and I should instead obey my desire to do what feels like "slacking off."

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that conventional productivity wisdom doesn't always apply. Respecting our body and mind's natural ebbs and flows can paradoxically increase our effectiveness over forced continuous effort.

WANT MORE?Members at johnnybtruant.substack.com get extra episodes of the podcast, behind-the-scenes peeks, and access to my members-only One-Drink Book Club podcast (listen to a sample episode here) … all for the price of a fancy coffee. Learn about membership here.

Today I noticed that usually, coughing is nothing more than needing to scratch an itch in your throat, where fingers can't (or shouldn't!) reach. The cough is like scratching it with muscular contractions and air.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that things are often different than we assume based on our surface-level understanding. What seems to serve one purpose may actually have another underlying function that isn't immediately apparent.

WANT MORE?Members at johnnybtruant.substack.com get extra episodes of the podcast, behind-the-scenes peeks, and access to my members-only One-Drink Book Club podcast (listen to a sample episode here) … all for the price of a fancy coffee. Learn about membership here.

Today I noticed that at my gym, the urinals don't need water to flush. I don't understand how that works, but it does.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that there are innovative solutions to problems that may defy our conventional understanding, and yet they work. Somehow.

WANT MORE?Members at johnnybtruant.substack.com get extra episodes of the podcast, behind-the-scenes peeks, and access to my members-only One-Drink Book Club podcast (listen to a sample episode here) … all for the price of a fancy coffee. Learn about membership here.

Today I noticed that talented people often downplay or don't believe fully in their talents. The things they do that are extraordinary are ordinary to them, and they think "anyone could do this" even though most people never could.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that competence isn’t immune to a lack of self-awareness … in this case, about one's own amazing abilities. When something comes naturally, it's easy to lose perspective on how special that skill actually is.

WANT MORE?Members at johnnybtruant.substack.com get extra episodes of the podcast, behind-the-scenes peeks, and access to my members-only One-Drink Book Club podcast (listen to a sample episode here) … all for the price of a fancy coffee. Learn about membership here.

Today I noticed that I've been telling the wrong audiences about the wrong aspects of my business: telling the writers about my new books that only readers would care about, and talking about the creative process with readers - things that only writers would care about. I just assumed everyone is interested in everything, but that's not true.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that to truly connect and resonate, you must deeply understand your specific audience and tailor your messaging to directly speak to their particular interests and perspectives..

WANT MORE?Members at johnnybtruant.substack.com get extra episodes of the podcast, behind-the-scenes peeks, and access to my members-only One-Drink Book Club podcast (listen to a sample episode here) … all for the price of a fancy coffee. Learn about membership here.

Today I noticed that the Broadway show Wicked retold a familiar story from a completely different character perspective than The Wizard of Oz, and made us see a whole different side of the story.

The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is that shifting perspective and telling a well-known narrative through a new lens can reveal profound new insights and depth that drastically alter the original interpretation.

WANT MORE?Members at johnnybtruant.substack.com get extra episodes of the podcast, behind-the-scenes peeks, and access to my members-only One-Drink Book Club podcast (listen to a sample episode here) … all for the price of a fancy coffee. Learn about membership here.