“The thing about making art is that you’re always looking outwardly, even though you’re also acutely aware of processing inwardly.”
Shawna Lemay, Your Life and the Work of Art
Next time you’re out somewhere with a friend, ask them what they’re seeing; almost guaranteed they’re not focused on the same things you are. You can play this game by yourself at a location you visit regularly (or even sitting at home) by making a record of what’s caught your eye or by comparing photos you took.
When I walk along a pebble beach I generally find myself noticing one pattern or colour more than anything else on each occasion: wide stripes, pinstripes, single lines, circles, conglomerate, two contrasting types of rock in one pebble, quartz, orange, red, green-grey, blue-grey.
Last time it was the orange striped pebbles I have found only on that beach. I think it’s because I spotted a couple of largish ones early on in my meander, and then my eyes tuned into those colours between everything else. The tide will move and mix them again several times before I walk there again.