After years of juggling family, business, and personal life demands, I realize I never fully engaged my senses except in purely transactional ways. Even during photography trips in Asia, Africa, Cuba, or throughout the U.S., I focused solely on sight and then just to find suitable images for prints or publications. Recently, my mentor, Kayla Green, reminded me of the importance of engaging all our senses as photographers (or writers) when seeking the next amazing image. It’s strange to think that to engage my senses truly, I must make an effort to engage them. Aren’t these autonomic functions that require no brain power?

I’ve discovered that activating my senses—even without a camera—adds richness to life experiences. On my morning walk to class in Mexico, I set an intention to pay attention. Instead of slipping back into old habits of being lost in the swirling cloud of thoughts, contemplating my day’s to-do list, or resolving a current issue, I engage every sense.

Now I hear the scritch of a handmade broom sweeping the street and the roar of the workers' truck, their laughing rising above the sounds of traffic. I smell the breakfast meats cooking on the sidewalk grill. I observe the people trudging to work and notice moms and kids holding hands as they walk to school. And yes, I’m no longer lost in thought but fully immersed in my senses, in the NOW. Although the sense of taste is a challenge, I often grab a cup of coffee and experience the taste of locally grown beans. I touch plants as I pass by and feel the humid air against my skin.

As a result, I walk daily for 20 minutes, spending most of that time free from intrusive thoughts. I’ve noticed and experienced so much more during my intentional sensory practice. While all my senses are heightened (before slipping back into that cluttered headspace where creativity gets stifled), I take out my camera and find a moment worth capturing

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