Tis the Season of Light
A Practice for the Holidays
This is the fourth and final post to introduce the Seeing Clearly Project before we begin on January 3rd, 2021. As promised, today I’ll share a sample reflection and practice so that you have some idea of what to expect in January. This one is about light.
Where I live in Ontario, Canada, we’re approaching the winter solstice on December 21st (shortest amount of daylight of the year). Every morning I wake up and am able to see! And it’s all due to light and the ability of my eyes to receive light. By 5 p.m. the sun has set for the day and I have to rely on artificial light. Outdoors and indoors we compensate for the lack of light by decorating with colourful twinkling lights for the holiday season. Even nearby Niagara Falls is lit up in colours inspired by nature.
Without light, we wouldn’t be able to see anything.
As I get older, light becomes literally more and more essential to my seeing. Even while wearing contact lenses or glasses, I need a good source of light to see the printed page. At this time of year, the lack of light also affects my mood and energy level, which makes me doubly appreciative for a sunny day. We humans are not alone in seeking light. Plants turn and bend towards the light, a process called phototropism. They’re looking for energy too and instinctively know they need light to survive.
Where there’s light, there’s also shadow, which is the yang to light’s yin. Shadows occur when light is blocked. Most shadows contain varying degrees of light as light also contains varying degrees of shadow. David Abram helped me to see shadows in a whole new way in his book, Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology (paid link). He says that we commonly misperceive shadows as flat because this is the way our eyes experience them.
“The actual shadow does not reside primarily on the ground; it is a voluminous being of thickness and depth, a mostly unseen presence that dwells in the air between my body and that ground. The dusky shape on the asphalt touches me only at my feet, but that is merely the outermost edge of a thick volume of shade, extending from the pavement and touching every point of my person.” ~ David Abram
Amazing to think of shadows in this way. I’ve been slightly obsessed with light and shadows for my entire photographic life. Light is truly a gift and a miracle, and accompanies us everywhere on this journey of life. Yet, we often take it for granted. In my online workshops, I often advise spending a week just noticing the changing light and shadows, always painting our surroundings in new and surprising ways. Like focusing on the breath in meditation, it’s a way of bringing us into the present and can do wonders for our mood.
Practice
Of course, we don’t actually “see” light, only it’s effects. Over the next couple of weeks, take some time to notice light and shadows and their effects as you go about your day. What is the light doing? How does it change what and how you see? Notice it’s intensity, quality, temperature, and direction. Light is a shapeshifter, always moving and changing, falling on everything without discrimination, just for a time and then it’s gone. Notice how it paints surfaces. You can do this in your home or while out for a walk. The light is different at every moment of the day.
When I’ve suggested this practice in the past, I sometimes get people who say that there’s no light today; it’s grey and dreary. Yet, even on a cloudy day, there’s always light, otherwise you wouldn’t see anything. The absence of strong shadows means that everything is lit evenly. Perhaps these days allow us to see things even more clearly; they may open you up to all kinds of perceptions that you wouldn’t see on a sunny day. Here are some ideas for practice.
Can you make a photograph where light (or shadow) is the main subject?
Witness a sunrise or sunset.
Celebrate the solstice (winter or summer) on December 21st.
Bask in the sunlight of a sunny day and soak in that Vitamin D.
Notice shadows and remind yourself that they’re not flat but filling the space. Abram suggests that you feel their effects; for example, how your shadowed side is cooler than your other side. Notice how a bird or a butterfly dims as it passes through a shadow or how a hill in shadow changes colour.
Metaphorically, what has been the greatest and most surprising light for you this year?
What do you see more clearly when you’re aware of light? Of shadows? How does it make you feel?
Resources
Becoming Animal by David Abram (paid link)
How can you support this work? I’m making this project free and available for all. You can support the work by signing up and sharing on social media or telling your friends! You can also support this work financially by making a one-time or monthly payment. Either way is greatly appreciated. The reflections and practices will start January 3rd. See the other three introductory posts here. Sign up now so you don’t miss future posts.
If you’ve already subscribed, thank you! If you’re on the free list, you can share photos and reflections on Instagram and add the hashtag #seeingclearly2021. Paid subscribers will have access to comments on the posts. Please share your experiences there. You can always switch to a paid subscription at any time. I hope this holiday season brings a little light into your life. See you in January!