S is for Surroundings

Now earlier in this challenge on Day O, I talked about observation. So how are observation and surroundings different? For me, when I’m talking about observation, I’m talking about observing people and animals. When I’m talking about surroundings, I’m talking about my physical surroundings. These are the things that make up the world around me, the little nuances that are easily missed in the bustle of everyday life.

For example, are you in an urban area or rural area? What is the defining characteristic of the area around you? Is it tall buildings of steel and glass that reach up until you can only see bits of blue sky? Or are you surrounded on all sides by nature, rolling fields, a few trees that are a nice mixture of pines and cottonwoods, the only sounds bird song and wind whispering through the leaves? Maybe you’re in a combination of both, a quiet park situated in the middle of a bustling city.

 

 

Now, take a moment and look closer your surroundings. If you are in an urban area, is the area well-kept, neatly maintained? Or is there trash littering the sidewalks, graffiti on the walls, houses and fences are starting to look broken down and worn? Or if you are in a rural area, is it heavily forested or mainly field land? Let’s look even closer. Is the graffiti layered with new and old? Does if have pictures or is it mainly words? Is it monochromatic or is it a dazzling burst of colors? If it’s a rural area, is it lush and fertile or is it dry and desolate? Are there a bunch of animals or eerily empty of all life?

It doesn’t necessarily have to be a new area to you. It could be someplace familiar. Take a moment to study a room, any room, in your house. I would recommend someplace where the family gathers, like the kitchen. A room like that is the heart of the house and you can get the real feeling of the occupants from a room like that. So let’s try the kitchen. What does the décor look like, sleek and modern or classic and homey? Are the colors dark or light, making it feel more closed in or more open? What sort of food or dishes are in the kitchen? All of these are personal choices and it will help build your story.

So take a look around a familiar room like you are seeing it for the first time. What does the room tell you about the occupants of the house? Try it and share what you discover 😊

Be Curious, like these Cheetah Cubs