How ‘Let’s Say’ Motivates Place Immersion
Using a Childhood Practice as Guiding Light
Some years ago in the early days of Facebook messaging, I received a note from someone I had not heard from forever.
It simply said “let’s say…”
It took a while, but I soon realized that this childhood friend was reminding me of a time of remarkable imagination when we would challenge each other (at age 7 or 8) to dream, to explore possibilities.
“Let’s say I am Superman and you are Batman.” Remarkable stories followed, at least they seemed so at the time.
I’ll confess to continuing this practice with internal dialog, especially recently. After dislocation from across the world, I enjoy disruptive conjecture to spur on what might come next.
I highly recommend trying some “let’s say” adventures.
Recently, in a personal call to action, I said to myself, “Let’s say you went somewhere you had not been for a while, explored, and immersed, revisiting some people and locations, but also letting your camera draw you across time and place. What would that look like?”
In the adult world, “let’s say” is a disruptive conjecture, an act of due diligence, a learning experience, and an opportunity to relate to a place’s history, as well as present-day activities and conversations.
The captions tell the story.
Multiple Layers of the Palace of the Governors
Snippets of Culture
Recording the Blue Hour in the American Southwest
Meanwhile, in Madrid
“Let’s say” opens us to deeper connections with place. The mission I framed drove me beyond the surface, in search of stories and nuances that frame place identity.
Stay tuned. These images summarize only the first two of several days ahead.
Like the fact that there are multiple launch points for people to experience place. e