Today I’m talking to Rob Walker, author of The Art of Noticing and its spinoff newsletter. He’s a columnist for Fast Company, a longtime contributor to The New York Times and many other publications. His latest book, co-edited with Joshua Glenn, is “Lost Objects: 50 Stories About The Things We Miss and Why They Matter.” 

In today’s conversation Rob shares how he got into this work around noticing and paying attention to things. We discuss what’s wrong with our attention these days and debate whether noticing is a habit, a mindset or a skill.

We talk about some of the 131 different ideas for noticing in The Art of Noticing and discuss specific contexts where noticing can be particularly rewarding

We also talk about museums, about how we can get more out of museum visits by noticing the ‘wrong’ things, following our curiosity, and spending more time with less objects.

We wind up talking about his most recent project  and book “Lost Objects’ which explores the personal significance of objects, especially those that are lost, stolen, or discarded. We talk about the value of noticing and appreciating objects that often go unnoticed, highlighting how these objects serve as tools for connecting with people and the world around us.

I really enjoyed talking to Rob - hope you enjoy it too!

Links

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Curated newsletter by Claire Bown

Rob Walker website

Rob's newsletter is at robwalker.substack.com. 

Rob's books: The Art of Noticing and his latest book, co-edited with Joshua Glenn, Lost Objects: 50 Stories About The Things We Miss and Why They Matter