Object Analysis

The vessel and the filter

Each of us has a container within—a vessel filled with the sum of our thoughts, feelings, dreams, and experiences. Information doesn’t enter it directly but is uniquely filtered and interpreted for each of us. Notice something you have a strong feeling about. Examine where the feeling comes from—is it the object itself, or your interpretation of it?

Choose an object that moves you. Something that creates an immediate emotional response.

First Response:

• Notice your instant reaction

• Feel the emotion’s intensity

• Watch what memories surface

• Observe what stories arise

Now step back. Look at it as if you’re from another planet:

• What is its actual shape?

• What is its true color?

• What is its real texture?

• What does it do?

See it through other eyes:

• How might a child see it?

• How might a stranger see it?

• How might someone from another culture see it?

• How might someone from another century see it?

Notice the gap:

• What’s the difference between the pure object and your story about it?

• Where does the object end and your interpretation begin?

• What new possibilities open when you separate the two?

Our interpretations often feel inseparable from the objects themselves, but by recognizing the difference, we open up new possibilities for perception and creativity.