I watched a commercial on television that really got my attention because I do the same thing. I’m not sure what the product was or what exactly the narrative was about but I found it very interesting. There is a guy taking a train ride looking at people, their expressions, the silent screen of their eyes, the happiness of the moment, the gestures of the hands, what they are wearing, and how they conduct themselves. As the man observes them he explains how he takes all this untold stories into his music. I believe it was music. Honestly can’t recall. However, this awareness is one of the most important characteristics for artists who want their art to be meaningful to people. If artists can ‘see’ people beyond the presence of a person standing or sitting there, they can take it to their art, and their art in return will take it back to the people. People then can connect with the art, the artist, and back to themselves.

To be aware is to see. Seeing in a meaningful way requires a higher degree of consciousness beyond the image transmitted from the eyes to the brain. To see is to connect to the world outside with watchful discernment. Requires for us to be alert and sensitive to the unspoken messages of the surroundings. That sensitivity comes from personal awareness. Without self-awareness we are disconnected from the outside world and we can distort or misinterpret external messages. Discernment leads to revelation. The revelation that allows us to see beyond what is in front of our eyes that transmitted into our art is capable of touching lives.

An interesting aspect of awareness is knowledge. If we add knowledge to what we see we can make objective interpretations based on facts. I mean objective as objective gets. We all know that a completely objective interpretation of the world around us is completely subjective based on our values, beliefs, and understanding. The sky can be blue for some but others can see it dark. Understanding why others see it differently than us is a result of knowledge which turns a subjective interpretation into an objective interpretation of the attributions behind it. We can be sensitive to that interpretation from someone else without surrendering our interpretation or our personal beliefs.