Patterns, ecopsychology and black swans.
Hey there! Happy Middle of the Weekday, everyone! It’s taken me a few days to recover from jet lag and another to deal with a new version of Wordpress which is not working like a charm. But, back from the U.S. with a few new goodoodles! How are goodoodles with you? I’ve missed blogging and missed your comments! Hope today finds you discovering the bright side in life, and that these Goodoodles somehow help.
1. Unexpected patterns. Okay, so I told you
I was a sometimes artist, at least 
for now. And I can’t help but see art in everything. I guess that’s why I am a huge camera addict! And while I won’t barrage you with cute photos of my kids with Minnie and Pooh, I did want to share these… 
patterns which were fun to spot and catch on film. Challenge yourself to see patterns around you. Some patterns may be momentarily stressful, like the crowds at Magic Kingdom!, at right, but others may be relaxing… particularly those found in nature.
Did you know that there is a field called ecopsychology involving therapies to reconnect people with nature …taking us humbly in the direction of the Na’vi of Avatar? According to Project Nature Connect (http://www.ecopsych.com/index.html),
As demonstrated by a quiet walk in a natural area, the grace of nature’s flow corrects, restores and 
balances life. In contact, it also does the same with the thoughts and feelings of our psyche.
So, look around, see if you enjoy finding patterns, and while you’re at it, listen to a roaring brook or breathe in the scent of wildflowers…it can’t hurt (unless you are allergic to pollen, in which case, skip the flowers.) Taking a moment to find unnoticed art all around us; communing with nature; and, Disney, on its uncrowded days!…Goodoodles.
2. Black swans. A very good friend gave me a fantastic book, albeit a studied read, called The Black Swan, The Impact of the Highly Improbable by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Taleb asserts that the great events which have changed the world have been those which we have not been able to predict, primarily because we tend to look at the past, at the normal, at what lies within the bell curve, rather than the extremes which we ignore. The result is that, by focusing on the normal, the known, the abnormal throws us for a loop. I remember as a kid in Arizona, how real estate agents showed us residential lots with the positive selling point that they lay on 100 year flood plains…flooded only once every 100 years..now that’s reassuring, right? Or at least it might be, provided you aren’t in year 100, or worse still, when statistics are based upon historical and not future rainfall…not much comfort as your home and worldly goods go floating downstream…a sad lesson learned in New Orleans. The good side is that we can try and alter our thinking. The Black Swan gives guidance. Taleb notes “read books are far less valuable than unread ones.” Except perhaps in this case. Helping us think out of the box, Nassim Taleb, and the black swan which no one believed existed until one was first spotted…NEVER say never. Goodoodles and a fabulous day!
I like the patterns you found unexpectedly. Seems like one could never be bored with endless patterns, colors, and shadows to discover. Interesting to hear about the field of ecopsychology. I live near a nature preserve and really enjoy seeing people connecting with nature on my daily walk.
Hi Diane! Thanks. When I visit your blog, http://www.desertcolors.blogspot.com, I know you commune with nature to such a degree that you could probably BE an ecopsychologist! I really enjoy your beautiful nature photos. They act as an invitation, a reminder of how spending time outdoors in nature is like food for the soul. Maybe you’ll post some desert patterns sometime! Cheers and a great evening,
April,
I came to your site from Belinda’s. I really liked this post and how you merged the concept of patterns with the idea of things that do not fit the pattern.
I also loved your pictures and agree with you about photography and art. While not a skilled photographer, I love photography. When I look through the lens of my camera, I see the unexpected. Trees have faces, flowers twinkling after a rainstorm become fairies, and animals become speaking characters. No, I’m not in a Disney film:~) It’s just my imagination. Still it’s a lot of fun.
Thanks for this post. I will look for the book, The Black Swan:~)
Hi Diane, patterns for me are very comforting. They remind me that perhaps there is order in times when all I see is chaos.
I actually read that book Black Swan and still keep my copy of it. I enjoyed reading it quite a bit and its message is almost the complete opposite of the comfort we derive from patterns.
Thank you for stopping by my blog!
When you get to looking at patterns in nature, you begin to see the same thing over and over again. Just expressed in many awesomely different ways.
Interesting point, Michael. Thanks for sharing it.
Hi Belinda,
Great observation! Patterns ARE settling whereas Black Swans are anything but. The good news is that while we derive comfort from patterns, we can keep our minds open to accept the fact that history doesn’t always make a great predictor of future events. By better preparing ourselves for the outlyers, we can minimize to some degree the discomfort they cause. So, in the end, that’s comforting, isn’t it?
It was my pleasure to stop by http://www.thehalfwaypoint.net! I’ll be back to you for more helpful insights.
April
Hi Sara,
Thanks for visiting Goodoodles, and for your interesting comment. I LOVE how the things you see through your camera lens seem magical. Life needs magic, fairies, and lots of twinkling things, don’t you think?! Why does that seem to end with childhood? How great to find a way, through your photography, to connect with them as an adult…something many of us forget how to do! I hope you’ll keep sharing those ideas and help the rest of us to see those things a bit more often too!
April
I like the patterns you found unexpectedly. Seems like one could never be bored with endless patterns, colors, and shadows to discover. Interesting to hear about the field of ecopsychology. I live near a nature preserve and really enjoy seeing people connecting with nature on my daily walk.
I’m glad you found a goodoodle or two here! Thanks for sharing your comments…they are goodoodles for me. Happy Friday and a great wkd! April