What do you see? What do you hear?
Century Plant bathing in early morning sunlight
Winter Park, 2026
I’m a planner, like many of my friends. As planners, we are on top of things: we look ahead, make lists, and are always well-prepared for whatever may come. We file our taxes early, are never charged a late fee on credit card accounts, and have Plans A, B, and C outlined and printed in triplicate, weeks ahead of schedule. While this model of efficacy offers many benefits, we can have trouble staying in the moment. We’re often too busy thinking about next steps (what’s for dinner? Is there food in the fridge? Do I have time to make something, or should I go out and pick something up? Maybe I should check the NYT recipe app and try something new? What’s left over in the fridge? ) and can easily miss what’s happening right in front of us. Which is why I’m excited about a recently rediscovered journaling technique by Lynda Barry.
Lynda is a master in the fields of creativity, writing, and imperfect drawings. She’s written several books and graphic novels with great success. Lynda also taught non-fiction cartooning at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. I was lucky enough to attend a weekend workshop of hers in Portland in 2018. Can you tell I’m a huge fan?
Lynda Barry’s Four Square journaling method consists of drawing a large rectangle in your journal and dividing it into four squares, with the top row being wider than the bottom row.
Each box provides space to write things.
* Label the top left box ‘What I Did’
* Top right box: ‘What I Saw’
* Bottom left box: ‘What I Heard’
* Bottom right box: ‘Draw something I saw’
Four Square Journal Page
The first time I tried this, my mind drew a blank. What did I see on my morning walk? What did I hear outside of my book on Libby? What did I pay attention to? Day 1 was pretty forgettable.
On Day 2, I remembered halfway through my day that I should notice what’s around me, no matter where I was. What did I notice? I didn’t see much on Day 2, but I heard something really interesting. It was a man talking on a cellphone, leaving the grocery store, saying:
“ Everything you’ve said has annoyed me today.”
Wow, not a happy man!
As I nurture this habit, I’m learning to pay attention to what’s around me; to stop pushing for a faster walk, but to discover what’s right here, right now. Some of the things I’ve seen recently include:
A desiccated frog body
An egret exploring local gardens
The Artemis II blasting off toward the moon
A woman with a floppy hat and sunglasses
A male runner wearing spandex shorts and little else (TMI)
A century plant bathed in early morning light
The back end of a bus with a face on it
Bus face, Winter Park, 2026
This new practice has enriched my days. I invite you to try this for the next 30 days. What happens when you start really seeing what’s around you? What are you hearing? What are you noticing? Write me back and let me know!
My day on April 1st, 2026