What should we do with all these pictures?
How much content do you create in a given day? How much do you consume? What of the thoughts that accompany that content? What happens to the sensations we experience as we take a picture? We’ll return to this, but put a pin in that for a minute.
Do you record feelings or thoughtful moments during your favorite series or a new movie that stand out, that speak to you, that cause a feeling to arise? What happens to these sensations? If we ignore them, if we don't pick our heads up and become aware of sensations the world and another human meant to generate in us, how can we expect to connect to other spontaneous sensations that arise because of interactions with our loved ones and our immediate and environments?
The shows we watch, the books we read, the movies, the podcasts, the articles, everything we deliberately consume has been designed to elicit a certain response. The sensations generated from the content we consume were meant for us, were meant as a catalyst. They offer inspiration. So what will we do with them?
At the very least, we must acknowledge the sensations. We must connect with them, identify them, and say to ourselves, this piece of content made me feel X, Y, and Z. We can take this opportunity to call attention to the breadth of beautiful sensations we have access to, and exercise our feeling muscle.
We must translate these feelings and become more fluent in them so we are able to feel deeper and shine light on all the nuances of this emotional language. And then, share that with the world.
Imagine the reviews and recommendations we could offer then. Instead of, “hey you should watch the show because it's funny or racy or heartfelt,” imagine the lexicon we could offer if we started to consider more deeply the sensations we felt as we watched.
If we were to sequence our sensations, imagine the world we might awaken.
What happens if we turn the same attention to the content we create. Most importantly, what happens to the pictures we capture?
Could we retain some of the essence that led us to the desire to preserve the moment?
Could we not only revisit a picture, but inhabit it?
Would we get better at the now as a result?
What if we could immerse ourselves in the moment without effort where the boundary between self and sensation and other are blurred?
If we start practicing this connection, if we sequence the essence of these moments as we capture them in a picture, we could now and always remain connected in a similar way to each moment we experience, and to each other.