Notice What You Notice: online workshop with Sophie Howarth & Menka Sanghvi
A creative workshop about reclaiming your attention in a distracted world.
How much of what you notice everyday is decided by algorithms?
Back in 1880, William James, considered the father of modern psychology, had this to say about attention:
“What we attend to is our reality... Each of us chooses, by our ways of attending to things, the universe we inhabit and the people we encounter. But for most of us, this ‘choice’ is unconscious, so it’s not really a choice at all.’
In our digital lives today, that choice has been hijacked. What we experience online is highly engineered and automated by powerful and personalised algorithms.
Noticing what we notice is the first step to reclaiming our attention from the attention merchants. Join us to explore the practical steps we can each take to guide our attention towards what really matters to us.
About Your Guides:
Sophie Howarth is an artist, author and activist. Her books include The Mindful Photographer, Looking At Trees and Everyday Wonder: How To Find Beauty In The Ordinary.
Find out more: sophiehowarth.com
Menka Sanghvi is a mindfulness guide whose projects explore the relationship between attention, technology and culture. Menka is the author of 60 Experiments in Looking (Just Looking Press, 2024) and Your Best Digital Life – Use Your Mind to Tame Your Tech (Macmillan, 2025).
Find out more: menkasanghvi.com
Workshop Details:
Your guides Sophie Howarth and Menka Sanghvi will share inspiration and provocations before inviting you to try creative practices with your own attention.
This playful and collaborative evening will include:
Understanding the mechanisms behind digital distraction
Simple techniques to wake up the senses and mind
Playful exercises to build your curiosity muscles
No experience needed, just an open mind and willingness to challenge your assumptions about noticing!
Yellow Skirt by Shin Noguchi
Follow up practices:
Raising awareness of what we notice is the first step, but it can still be a struggle to direct attention towards what brings us joy, comfort, and meaning. This is where community comes in!
After the event, join our optional WhatsApp group that will run for one week, with daily prompts from Sophie and Menka and an opportunity for everyone to share what freshness they are noticing.
Heart shadow by Sophie Howarth
Feedback
"You've somehow made slowing down and getting curious feel rebellious!"
- Participant on Menka's Just Looking walk
"I felt so safely held and expertly guided by Sophie."
- Participant on Sophie's One Wild and Precious Life course
Costs
In the spirit of not leaving people behind, we are offering a limited number of bursary places. If you would not otherwise be able to attend, you are welcome to contact menka@wearejustlooking.org to request one.
Lightbender by Gil Walker