The Art of Noticing

131 Ways to Spark Creativity, Find Inspiration, and Discover Joy in the Everyday

By: Rob Walker

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

Length: 4 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

An imaginative, thought-provoking gift audiobook to awaken your senses and attune them to the things that matter in your life.

Welcome to the era of white noise. Our lives are in constant tether to phones, to email, and to social media. In this age of distraction, the ability to experience and be present is often lost: to think and to see and to listen.

Enter Rob Walker's The Art of Noticing. This audiobook edition will spark your creativity—and most importantly, help you see the world anew. Through a series of simple and playful exercises—131 of them—Walker maps ways for you to become a clearer thinker, a better listener, a more creative workplace colleague and finally, to rediscover your sense of passion and to notice what really matters to you.

©2019 Rob Walker (P)2019 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“These simple, low-stakes activities can open up the world.” —Tim Herrera, The New York Times

"Rob Walker's writing has always been wonderful because of his unique eye for noticing what other people miss. With this new book, he's basically teaching you all his secrets for seeing.” —Ryan Holiday, bestselling author of Ego is the Enemy and The Obstacle Is The Way

“If you want a more interesting and creative life, the first thing to do is to start paying better attention to it. In The Art of Noticing, Rob Walker provides an essential guide to becoming an explorer of your everyday world. I found a ton to steal here and so will you.” —Austin Kleon, New York Times bestselling author of Steal Like An Artist

I Gave Copies to All My Creative Friends

I loved this book. As I listened, I kept thinking of my creative friends, a painter, a sculptor, a writer. I gave them copies to apply to their work and have heard good things. There is just so much around us that can move and inspire and enrich us if we just learn to notice it. Well done.

Inspiring

Every time I pick up this title, I get joyfully inspired and optimistic about the world. There is so much beauty in it, and so much creativity in us, humans.

Stimulating

Well presented and more ideas than you ever thought possible. Make the time to listen.

Bit worried of the sprinkles of reckless advice

I loved the overall message of the book & look forward to put it in my repertoire of go-tos when I need an idea of how to move forward.
There were a couple of things mentioned that I believe should have been left out such as that professor's advice to the young woman who asked how to have fun without drinking?
"Go out to the pub and drink a bit. You'll get lost & wont have your phone to navigate."
I literally had to repeat that part 3 times to see if I was missing something.
(Women alone need to carry their phones with them at all times- it's not just about boredness.)

I didn’t want it to finish

I LOVED this book!
I loved the voice of the narrator. I listened to it while walking in the woods, so it’ll accompanied me every morning. I almost cry because I didn’t want it to finish. I played with the exercises and I use them daily. Life changer book! A way of waking up to life.

Mostly exercises by and for artists

"Go to an art gallery and notice the dust" sums up the exercises. Although somewhat of an interesting listen and anyone might find a few of the exercises intriguing or useful, it is really ideas from artists for artists. Not for most people but has an audience.