We all know about the senses from our eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and skin. But there is so much more to it than those simple words. I count our sixth sense as well, our intuition, imagination, the guiding wise inner knowing that can be so easy to ignore but is usually the truth.

Which is your keenest, most informative sense?

Which sense do you get the most pleasure from?

Which of your senses do you wish was stronger?

Let’s take a deeper dive in to exploring each of these senses and how they relate to creativity. This week’s focus is sight, vision, and clear seeing of that which is easily in view and what is seen when you look deeper, zoom in, or look behind the obvious. I’m an artist and visual learner so sight is one of my personal favorite senses and inspirations.

Much of California is in a “Super Bloom” from the heavy rains we’ve had after more than five years of severe drought. Wild flower seeds have sprung to life after laying dormant for so long including irises in my yard I didn’t know where there. Color and growth is lush and vibrant. The beauty of it all inspired me to talk a walk within the boundary lines of the property I live on to photograph every type of flower that was in bloom. There must have been more than thirty, mostly wild flowers. As I zoomed in on the photos I loved seeing the layers of the leaves, the petals, and the stamens. So many of them were arranged in Mother Nature’s perfect geometry also known as sacred geometry and what scientists call the logical outcome of natural principals. Like most of us, I find these patterns, bright colors and gifts of nature inspiring and beautiful.

In 2013, when I was in training to become a Certified Intentional Creativity Teacher, one of the art matriarchs of the Intentional Creativity Contemporary Symbolism Movement, Sue Hoya Sellers would take us on nature walks to teach us how to look with “Sue Eyes”. Sue was a lifelong working artist and mountain woman constantly gathering her inspiration and wisdom from nature. She taught me how to look from a distance at the patterns in the way vegetation grows, to notice the arrangement of bushes and trees, the shadows in the hills, the flow of grasses in the wind, the textures of water and the spirals of bark wrapping around a tree.

Paying attention during these walks then and now and noticing what I was seeing so closely slowed my busy brain down, relaxed me, helped me to breath slower and deeper and was great for stress reliever freeing my mind from my to do list and distracting shiny object thoughts. Instead by diving into my literally beautiful sense of my sight inspiration was fueld to sketch patterns and play with paint in the colors I saw, and to allow my own creative juices to flow without restriction and new ideas to arise.

I invite you to go outside to take a nice slow walk and really notice, looking for something you haven’t seen before. Take your phone for your camera if you must, but please silence the ringer and allow your sight to lead the way for just a few minutes, until you find that something new you hadn’t noticed before and note the next thought that came to you. I’d love to hear what you found…!

On the weekend of May 19-21 I’m offering a very special event: “Reclaim You: An Experiential Intentional Creativity Weekend for the Senses” in Sonoma, CA. Information is on my website event page and contact me for a special offer for “Creativity at Work” readers. Next week I’ll share some thoughts on Creativity and the Senses – Sound.

Kerry Lee, a 25 year Benicia resident, is a Certified Intentional Creativity® Teacher and Coach, leading group workshops, experiential retreats Mobile Social Painting Parties with a Purpose (May 28 at The Chill, June 9 at Angel Heart 4 You, June 27 at Vini Wine Bar), Customized Corporate Team Building and Corporate Social Responsibility events and teaching essential oil lifestyle and wellness classes. Find her at KerryLeeArt.com

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