Cloudy with a Chance of Joy

As I sit in front of the expansive windows at Center 61, my lovely new co-working space, I'm reminded of a TED talk I listened to this past weekend. 

Gavin Pretor-Pinney, British designer, author of the The Cloudspotter's Guide, and founder of The Cloud Appreciation Society just may be on to something when he encourages tenacious cloud watching.

Sure, there's a little Jr. High Science nerd in all of us (some more than others!) that finds the different types of clouds and their fancy names intriguing, but beyond that I appreciate Pretor-Pinney's stance that a little down time is good for us. Hmph! Who would have thought? 

As the description of the talk outlines,

"Seemingly idle pursuits provide unexpected paths to appreciating overlooked wonders."

Why is it that we have to be convinced to be idle? Do we have the time and space to appreciate wonders?

In a world where technology is changing and involving at rapid speed, how can we ever hope to stay relevant? Especially if we have our head in the clouds!

But just maybe this mad rush is what got us in a messy world where items are labeled when they have treated the makers fairly (and not the other way around!) 

Perhaps a bit more idle time would give us time to stop and see the big picture. To pick up our heads and to actually see what's going on around us. 

Two rubber duckies taking a leisurely swim

This week, I'm going to give it a try and spend at bit of time each day naming cloud shapes. Really, it's the perfect way to keep your mind aimlessly busy as you try to decide exactly what that billowy blob could be. Too busy to let those pesky, utilitarian thoughts creep in.