The Magical Effect of Seeing Big

Peripheral Vision

Is your visual field narrow? Or is it wide?  Does it include the colors, textures, shapes, and movements in your peripheral field?

Today, play around with how you utilize vision.  If you are reading, can you also notice the border on the page, the wall or window in the distance, and maybe even a layer beyond? 

 It is possible to focus on a point but also notice the space around. Being able to take in the full peripheral field changes the way we move, therefore it changes the way we do what we do. I like to notice colors, textures, shapes, and movements.  They will be out of focus but they are part of my space. 

In music-making, it allows us to access those subtle movements we need that make a difference in tone color, inhalation quality, and articulation.  This was such a counterintuitive concept for me because the way I learned was staring intently at the music hoping not to miss a note or distort a rhythm.

What happens we you see the walls, floor, and ceiling in your space as you go about today’s activities? Expanding the visual field has an almost magical impact on the way we do what we are doing.

Be curious…

Now off to Parkour….