The art of reading the street 🔭

“Flanerie is a sort of reading of the street, in which human faces, displays, shop windows, café terraces, tracks, cars and trees become so many equal letters of the alphabet that, taken together, make up the words, sentences, and pages of ever-changing books.” —Franz Hessel

It truly is an art form.

Here are some definitions for anyone who's new to the concept:

🚶‍♂️ Flâner (v, French): to saunter aimlessly

🚶‍♂️ Flâneur (n, French): a person who walks the city in order to experience it; a highly observant urban wanderer who purposefully saunters aimlessly

🚶‍♂️ Flânerie (n, French): the act of aimless sauntering; the undirected ambling of the flâneur

Thoughts on how to incorporate more flânerie in your life:

» Breathe. Take a moment to breathe deeply without thinking of what you need to do next.
» Go walking. Wander in unfamiliar surroundings and simply observe. Try to let yourself become detached as you take in the sights, sounds, smells, and stories going on around you. Think of it as simply “collecting memories.”
» Set aside a “Flâneur Day”. Open yourself up to serendipity. Give yourself permission to take an entire day to spend to yourself without thinking about work and life, just to see where it takes you (easier said than done, I know).
» Go on a random adventure. Get lost. Explore.
» Take a breather. Chill. Do a sauna session. Take a power nap. Even if you don’t actually fall asleep, set your alarm for 25-30 minutes later and let your mind wander. See where your imagination takes you.
» Take a new route home. Take in the novel sights and sounds.

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Hey 👋 I'm Blake and I'm slow traveling the globe with my g/f while building online 💻 Join us as we document the ups, downs, and lessons learned while designing a life of freedom 🐢

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