The idea for this digital art piece came after an argument with a friend; an argument that started because I wasn't understanding what point they were making. It wasn’t just that I didn’t understand, it was that I wasn’t listening when they were talking to me. Or rather, I wasn't fully present in listening to them. I began to notice that I was not alone. That many people do this; when we’re distracted by our phones, or distracted by an email, or when there are other things going on around us.
It got me thinking about my interactions with people, and in turn, how we listen. I really started focusing on my interactions, specifically, with friends and colleagues. In this time, our time, of technological evolution; computers in our pockets providing constant interaction, it is very easy for us to try to engage in multiple activities. More often than not, people will pick up their phone during conversation just to check the time, or dismiss a new notification; maybe they’re waiting for an email, or an important phone call. By that point they’re already distracted, but in picking up the phone they further that distraction.
A lingering thought becomes a conscious thought.
This interrupts the conscious listening and suddenly ‘that didn’t make sense’, ‘i’m confused’, ‘can you repeat that?’ becomes a familiar phrase of conversation.