Earlier this week I went on an Impressionist art "expedition" with one of my uncle's M.I.T. fraternity brothers who has taken to art and painting in retirement. Like my uncle, he writes papers for fun as a way to share his knowledge, research, and passion with others.
This week, our explorations took us to la Boucle de la Seine, an area about 20-minutes west of Paris where the likes of Money, Sisley, Morisot, Pissarro, and Renoir spent time. Bud (L.M. Boring – really that's his last name!) even made a bound and printed packet of the art and areas we'd be exploring. What was most striking is how these artists knew each other and sometimes would paint together. We could see the same view represented through different eyes, and even different seasons.
Bud has worked with various associations, museums, and done his own research to map out different locations. Of course a lot has changed over time, but it was fascinating to me to imagine standing where a great artist once stood. I loved looking at historic maps along with Bud's stories to understand what the area may have looked like at the time. It's part puzzle, and part mystery.
We wrapped up the visit at Maison Fournaise, which is a museum and restaurant. It also happens to be where Renior painted "Le déjeuner des canotiers" on the terrace in 1881. Striped awning and all.
The whole experience got me thinking more about how we document and archive the work we do. Many of these artists never knew just how famous they'd become. Now it's often up to the engaged observer to do some digging, but still we may never know the full story.
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Read.
"To stay eager, to connect, to find interest in the everyday, to notice what everybody else overlooks.... they speak to the difference between looking and seeing, between hearing and listening, between accepting what the world presents and noticing what matters to you." The quote above is from th introduction of Rob Walker's The Art of Noticing and struck me as something we all could do a bit more of.
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Watch.
I'm believe that Atul Gwande is going to change the future of healthcare in the U.S., but he's been making waves for years. I enjoyed his TED talk "Want to get great at something? Get a coach." (And he's talking about this from the perspective of an operating room doctor!)
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Listen.
Mixed Methods is a podcast that explores the hows and whys of user research. Host Aryel Cianflone's skill as a UX researcher comes through with the questions she asks industry guests. The podcast is a great way to get inside the research side of many of your favorite companies. This week I particularly enjoyed the episode with architect turned IDEO consultant turned leadership coach Laura Weiss of Design Diplomacy.
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New Writing. ✍️
- Inspired by Grace Bonney's (aka Design*Sponge) letter to her 23-year old self, this week I wrote my own letter to my 23-year-old self on the Biz Blog.
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What's the unexpected thing that you observed this week!?!
I challenge you to keep your eyes open this week to a new detail. 👀 It need not be big or grand.
Happy noticing!
P.S. Friendly reminder I'm headed to London at the end of the week for anyone looking to book a 1:1 coaching session face to face!
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Anne S. Ditmeyer is a designer, explorer, and creative coach based in Paris, France. Her blog Prêt à Voyager (translation: ready to travel) explores the intersection of travel, design, and Paris. Her mantra is "travel is not about where you go, but how you see the world." Her latest endeavor is NavigateParisOnline.com.
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