Look vs See

Şevket Dağ. For those who haven't heard his name, he's a painter whose life and perspective on life are worth examining. This week, my daughter and I visited Bozlu Sanat Gallery to view his 65 master piece, guided by the magnificent art teacher Emel Niğdeli. Şevket Dağ, who lived from 1875 to 1946, is remembered as a hardworking and passionate individual who was deeply dedicated to his craft and beloved by many. While studying his life, I was particularly drawn to the following anecdote:

"When I start a painting, even if they set off firecrackers right next to me, even if all seventy-seven neighborhood watchmen surround me and beat their drums all at once, I don't care. I focus on my work. I can sit in the busiest places and create my painting... I don't even notice when the crowd gathers around me while I work on the street... When the painting is finished, I look back, and oh my, there's a crowd... Men, women, children, they're all behind me... but I don't care. For example, I can sit in the middle of the Grand Bazaar and paint... right in the heart of it... Imagine all that commotion, imagine setting up to paint in the middle of the bazaar... even if the place is swarming, I don't pay any attention... In art, there's no room for shame, embarrassment, or cowardice."

Upon reading this anecdote, perhaps the concept of Mihaly Csikszentmihályi's "Flow" theory came to mind, as it did for me. Csikszentmihályi initially began researching the concept of "being in the flow" by drawing inspiration from artists. The question that led to his theory, which resonated worldwide, was: "How can artists work on a piece without eating, drinking, or even sleeping?" Did you also feel as if you were exploring Şevket Dağ's words above?

Şevket Dağ was the first painter to explain the difference between looking and seeing. When coaching, or when searching for our "flow" zone, the real issue is "seeing" within ourselves, and this is only possible through art... Art is not only therapeutic but also a powerful tool for abstract thinking and expanding our minds. In a ten-minute piece of writing, a seven-minute piece of music we listen to, a five-minute drawing we create, or an instant analysis of a photograph, art has an aspect that makes us feel good, triggers us to think, understand, and imagine from different angles.

May you see your true self and have the courage to take bold steps into new beginnings on the path towards beautiful days ahead.