April 20, 2017 Reflection
By Emma Bartley
Today, I took a field trip to the Cincinnati Art Museum with my Art History class. We got to go on a special tour, and we were told something that I think not only applies to art but applies to how we should look at life.
Our tour guide told us, “I am here to help you see the art, and not just look at it. There is a difference between seeing and looking.”
When I heard that, I was confused at first. Isn’t seeing something the same as looking at it? But our tour guide further explained it. You can look at something, but not actually see the meaning inside of it. She was here to help us see the meaning that the art had within it.
I think this thought process of taking an extra second to truly see things could be very effective on my life, as well as many others. I believe that most people go through life looking at others and the environment around them, but not actually seeing the experiences in their lives.
I sometimes struggle to see what everything in my life means. When things get hard, it is easy to complain and whine about how difficult everything is. I sometimes fail to see the good inside the bad.
However, if we were to not just look, but to see our lives, I think we would have much more gratitude for what we have and what we are given. Reflecting on seeing vs. looking today, I began to truly realize how lucky I was to have the family and friends that I do.
Here are some works of art that I saw today on my field trip. Take a second longer to see these paintings rather than look at these paintings. What do they mean to you?