Kate Nelson_Homework #3_Blog #1: Notice and Focus Method

What Do You Think of This Method?

    I think that the "Notice and Focus Method" is an effective way to explore one's ideas, especially if they're about something more specific. I think that by focusing on one detail, rather than an entire image, more information can be reaped when there are less objects of distraction. The Notice and Focus Method allows the viewer or reader to create or form one strong conclusion of a single important detail, than several less strong conclusions of the general object. This method allows us as third party viewers to build up complex ideas by first focusing on specific parts, and then drawing conclusions about them. As more and more details are noticed and more conclusions are drawn, they can be combined to form an idea with multiple layers contributed by all the different details. The method makes sure that no smaller observations are lost in the process of contributing ideas, and that the final understanding has more depth to its ideas.

    The Notice and Focus Method also allows room for change. As more and more is noticed, a person's point of view is subject to change from each new piece of gathered information. For example, when this method was applied to Van Gogh's "Starry Night" in class, my opinions changed about the image as more was observed about the painting. As more people contributed their thoughts of the painting, my interpretations of the details shifted from how I originally saw them. Even though the method is focused on the smaller details, the pooling of the information from all these details contributes to a much bigger and deeper way of thinking about an image or concept.