Kim Manley Ort's Blog, page 9

What is Perception?

Perception is defined as how and what we see. However, it’s often confused with conception, which is where our conscious mind normally operates. Conception is when we label, evaluate, or create meaning from what we see. Perception happens before conception. This is a topic I’ve written about many times over the years. However, in the […]

What is Perception?

Life as an Infinite Game

I love synchronicity. This week, Seth Godin’s podcast was on finite and infinite games. I wrote this post on the subject in 2012 as a response which began with an article from Patti Digh, which pointed to this article. Then, this idea came up again as I was reading Seth Godin’s book, The Icarus Deception, […]

Life as an Infinite Game

My Social Media Experiment

We all use social media differently. For me, Facebook is how I stay connected with friends and family, yet I rarely post on my personal page. I have two Facebook pages for my business where I post regularly, one for Adventures in Seeing and one for the book. Twitter is where I stay up to […]

My Social Media Experiment

Meet John O’Donohue – Irish Poet and Mystic

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, where we celebrate all things Irish. And, Deirdre Walsh and I are in the midst of finalizing plans for our Ireland getaway this September. I’ve been revisiting the work of one of my favourite writers, the poet and mystic, John O’Donohue, who passed away in 2008 at […]

Meet John O’Donohue – Irish Poet and Mystic

Seeing is Forgetting

Seeing is forgetting pre-conceptions. Seeing is taking off the labels. Seeing is cultivating beginner’s mind.

For years, I’ve heard about the book, Seeing is Forgetting the Name of the Thing One Sees by Lawrence Weschler, thirty years of conversations with the artist, Robert Irwin. While studying the photography and writing of Uta Barth (photographer of perception), I realized that this book was the most influential in her work. It was time for me to read it. Doing so has been the highlight o...

Looking Back, Looking Ahead

I’m all about being here in the present, but sometimes it’s good to reflect on where you’ve been and where you’re going. This is the time of year where I’m sure many of us are doing just that.

Looking Back

One of the ways I like to look back is through my photographs from the year that’s coming to an end. They paint a picture of what was important to me. And, I often dIscover projects or themes to work on for the coming year. Most of my photos are stored on Flickr. At the end of each mon...

It’s Not What you See, but How you See

First Snow

How do you see? For it’s not what you see but how you see that determines your worldview. And, you can consciously expand your worldview by changing how you see. In this post, I’ll share the inspiring work of Uta Barth, who explores this idea of perception, or how we see, through her photographs.

As photographers, we’re always looking for subjects to photograph. Yet, there’s much more to a photograph than just a subject. There’s background information, foreground information, space...

Invite Chance In

 
The word chance is used in many different ways. You can take a chance or have a chance encounter. You can decide not to take chances or you can decide you have a chance. There is an element of luck to chance – whether that’s good luck or bad depends on your perspective. According to the dictionary, chance is fortuitous or accidental, a possibility. Chance is out of our control so all we can do is respond to it.

Every day our lives are touched by chance. We learn something new, depending o...

What Could You Create Without Distractions?

 
About six months ago, I listened to a podcast with Cal Newport, author of a new book called Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. This interview planted a seed that I’ve been nurturing ever since.

I wondered what I could create if I eliminated distractions and made time for deep work.

“Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It’s a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results...

Favourite Books of 2017

 
It’s that time of year when I look back on what I’ve been reading. Today, I’d like to share a few of my recent favourites in case you’re looking for a book to read or a gift for someone you love. My selections are a little eclectic because I had two main interests this past year – books by black writers and memoirs.
 

Books by Black Writers

 
At the end of 2016, I took a fantastic online class facilitated by Patti Digh, called Hard Conversations: An Introduction to Racism. I highly recomme...