10/03(Tue.) The Art of Paying Attention (host:Jessica)

[Jecaca Lin]

Here's a TED Talk by illustrator and graphic journalist, Wendy MacNaughton. In her talk, MacNaughton emphasizes the significance of drawing in creating an immediate connection with others. She encourages the audience to participate in a drawing exercise with a partner. This exercise helps people slow down, pay attention, and connect with each others through the act of looking and drawing.
MacNaughton shares her experiences where she had connected with people through drawing. Once she stopped to draw a hand-painted wooden sign for a boot maker and ended up spending the whole day with him, learning about his life and craft. And she also shared how she unexpectedly taught drawing to children during the pandemic, which helped them cope with the situation and connect with others. Through drawing, it slows people down, helps them pay attention to things they usually overlook, and process emotions, including trauma. Why don't we try and feel the magic in our meeting?
SESSION I
1. Let's try the blind-portrait drawing exercise.

2. How do you feel while doing the drawing exercise? Is the feeling different from other "looking?"

3. MacNaughton said, "Drawing is looking, and looking is loving." in the clip. Why does she say it? Do you agree with it?


SESSION II
4. Is there something you should pay attention to instead often overlook it?

5. Have you tried to pay attention to "people connection?" Share your experience.


*********************************************************************************************
Agenda:
6:45 ~ 7:00pm Greetings & Free Talk / Ordering Beverage or Meal / Getting Newcomer’s Information
7:00 ~ 7:10pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
7:10 ~ 7:45pm Discussion Session (35 mins)
7:45 ~ 8:00pm Summarization (15 mins)
8:00 ~ 8:05pm Regrouping / Instruction Giving / Taking a 5 Minutes Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
8:05 ~ 8:40pm Discussion Session (35 mins)
8:40 ~ 8:55pm Summarization (15 mins)
8:55 ~ 9:00pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements

Meeting Date: As shown on the Subject Line
Meeting Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Meeting Venue: 丹堤咖啡 Dante Coffee (Minimum Order $80)
Address: 台北市濟南路三段25號[MAP]-捷運忠孝新生站3號出口步行3分鐘


Important Notes:
1. We advise participants to print out the discussion questions and bring them to the meeting for reference. As for the supporting articles, feel free to print them out, as well, according to your preference.
2. We suggest that participants read the articles and think about the questions in advance.
3. Newcomers should prepare a two-to-three minute self-introduction in English to deliver when called upon by the host before the start of the discussion. The host may also ask you to give brief feedback about the meeting at the conclusion of the meeting.
4. We conduct the entire meeting in English. All participants should have at least moderate English-conversation skills and be able to articulate your ideas for each discussion question.
5. We welcome newcomers and other guests to attend the meetings and join the discussion freely for two times. After that, we hope you will consider becoming a YoYo English Club member. We charge a NT$1500 lifetime membership fee, or NT$1000 for students

[miller]

Move to the top.

[Iris Wu]

She is a delightful person with a pure heart. I think her drawing skills, paired with her genuine spirit, have captivated the hearts of strangers. To her, “Drawing is looking, and looking is loving” holds true. When she draws, she observes deeply. She approaches her “looking” with love and care, and in return, she gets to know the stories behind each face, and this mindful process profoundly enriches her life.

But in our daily lives, how many genuine 'glimpses' do we take each day? How many of these observations are truly infused with affection or even just pure respect?

Sadly, I think most of our “looks” are judgmental and critical, whether intentional or not, spoken, or silent. Maybe that is how barriers form between people. I am curious: besides drawing, what other methods can we employ to accomplish the same “art of paying attention”?

[Rock]

We are going to do the same thing in our meeting? Wow! Kind of scary....

Iris is right. When we see people, we take very quick glimpses and make instant judgements in a split second. But this task has a trick: it asks people to stare at each other for 60 seconds and draw the face without looking at what they draw. We know we are showing our drawing to each other later so we want to make it good. We have to study and search the good outline and shading on what we see, think about it, and pass it to our hands to draw. I guess the process turns us into "good artists" looking for good things.

Hope my drawing won't depress the one I draw, and the drawing of my face won't shock me too much.

[Sherry Liao]

1. Let's try the blind-portrait drawing exercise.

I have a question. In the video, the lecturer said the first drawing was not a human face, but an icon or a visual shorthand. I have managed to do some practice of the blind-portrait drawing, but all my works look like that icon. What should I do?

[Rock]

Hey! That's cheating! How can you practice it before you come? Now yours will look better than ours. Not fair!