Art museums can be a rich source of ideas and inspiration. However, it’s easy to get sensory overload and become drained rather than energized by all the art. Over the years I’ve developed a strategy for getting the most out of my visits to art museums.
The secret is actually not looking at too many images too closely. I take a very quick look through a particular gallery and identify two or three pictures that grab my interest immediately. Then I spend my time deeply exploring, contemplating, and admiring those images only.
To follow this strategy it is essential that you simply ignore the majority of images before you. Too many people think they have to look at everything. Instead, treat your attention as if it were a scarce commodity, then you will be able to go deeper, get more out of the experience, and perhaps even come away with something useful.
(Post prompted by a weekend visit to the Portland Museum’s exhibit on Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art.)
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