The Art of Perception: How to See and Say What Really Matters

What if success was less about mastery and more about sight?

Simple truth: Most of us don’t see what is right in front of us.

Instead, we see mental models and imprints of what things “should” look like or what we’ve been told to see. And, we miss what's actually happening, along with all the critical details.

As entrepreneurs or professionals, it’s extremely difficult to become extraordinary at anything, to serve on the deepest level or build businesses, careers and lives that are tapped into their potential until we first understand how to see what’s in front of us.

Today’s guest, Amy Herman, can help. A former lawyer with a dual education in art, she saw how a pervasive inability to both see truth and details and then share them in a clear way was limiting the work of so many people. So, she developed The Art of Perception, a program to teach (non-artist) professionals strengthen their perception skills using classic works of art in a museum setting.

The impact has been astonishing. She now works with everyone from the NYPD FBI to the Department of Defense, doctors and med students, as well as leaders in the fields of education, finance, and policy. Amy’s new book, Visual Intelligence, describes her process and her work.

In This Episode You’ll Learn:

• The impetus behind the launch of Amy’s programs.
• The experience of The Art of Perception and what people can expect when they go through the program.
• The four As of Amy’s program and how they help professionals become better at their jobs.
• The importance of taking a step back and making sure you have enough information if you choose to rely on a bias.
• Why eyewitness testimonies are not a reliable source of information.
• Amy’s tip for getting the complete picture of a situation at hand.
• Why Amy prohibits certain words in her classes.
• The importance of self-perception and why it’s critical to self-development.
• Why Amy is unhappy with the state of the formal art education and what she suggests to those majoring in art.

Mentioned In This Episode:

• Connect with Amy: The Art of Perception
• Visual Intelligence by Amy Herman
• The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker
• The MET
• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
• The Frick Collection

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