Is it a picture of a vase or two faces (Edgar Rubin)? Is it a young girl or an old woman (William Ely Hill)? Does the staircase go up or go down (M.C. Escher)? Remember the infamous photograph of a blue and black (or was it white and gold) dress that went viral in 2015?
Optical illusions remind us that there are legitimately different ways to view the world around us. What we see depends on our perspective. Our perspective is shaped by our life experiences, the information available to us, and our moral and spiritual beliefs.
My digital collage "Reframe Your Perspective" offers the viewer choices. Is that moonlight streaming in the window? Is the sun rising or setting?
Exposure to diverse perspectives is an opportunity to shift into Shoshin or beginner's mind...to ask ourselves why we see what we see. It reminds us that it is ok for others to see a vase even though we think that the two faces are so obvious. We can challenge ourselves to release the need to be right and embrace the importance of being open. As F. Scott Fitzgerald said, "The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function."
