When everything in our everyday lives moves fast, it’s difficult to notice the small details around us. The pandemic forced us to slow down and spend more time in our homes. It is essential to take advantage of this slowness caused by the pandemic and make its best. Slowing down can be an opportunity to look at things from a new perspective.

For this project, you will be making a collection of unnoticed moments — through observation and reflection. You will base a series of drawings on your discoveries. Choose three separate windows in your house from which to look outside. Look for details that might seem ordinary. For example, your view might be of a street you have passed by thousands of times. However, spending time slowing down and observing from your chosen spot, you may begin to notice something new in the familiar and ordinary.

1. Draw three 5 x 5-inch horizontal squares.
2. Choose three windows that seem “ordinary” to you (one for each square).
3. Look out each of the three windows for about 3–5 minutes.
4. Find three things you never noticed before in each window. Squint your eyes to find a color that best represents what you saw. Find a color pencil or marker for each color.
5. For each square, use only one color to draw the new element or object.
6. Your drawings can be as detailed or as simple as you like. Make them your own.
7. Write a sentence under your drawing with a black pencil or pen describing, explaining, or listing the three discoveries you drew. Include why you may not have noticed these objects before.
8. Take a photo of your drawing and share it using the submission form at the top of this page!

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