To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work. —Mary Oliver
Have you heard of Memoto? It’s a lifelogging camera. Users clip on the tiny camera and it takes two geotagged photos a minute. The device comes with cloud space and the program will organize the photos for you. The website says, “You can revisit any moment of your past.”
Part of me loves this idea. I could record my life and no longer worry about forgetting. But the writer part of me worries that I’d get lazy and stop noticing the delicious parts of life. As Mary Oliver says, paying attention is our “endless and proper work.” She’s right. Successful writers—the ones who craft words that change our way of seeing life—notice what happens in the world and write about it.
Try this: Challenge yourself to pay attention today. Collect images, actions, words, and stories to use in your stories. Only take pictures if you think you will need them. Instead, train your mind to make a memory. At the end of the day, practice creating a word picture by recording what you discovered in your journal.
Pro Tip: Jot down a few words in a notebook or on your smart phone to help you remember what you noticed.
Your turn: Comment below on how you have learned to pay attention. Or, if you like the Memoto idea, share why!
