085 - How Much We Stood Out

Today I noticed that during a vacation in a remote West Texas town, my family and I were immediately spotted as outsiders by the locals when we went shopping in a small general store. We’re fairly normal-looking, so I figured we’d blend in. We did not. The locals were picking up on a million subtle cues and behaviors that we didn’t see, signaling our clear “otherness.”The creative lesson I took from this Noticing is the significance of subtlety in the fabric of a community. In writing, we can use tiny details and nuances to show how well or poorly a character fits or misfits a setting. This can be a great tool for exploring themes of identity, belonging, and the nuances of social dynamics in different communities.WANT MORE?Members get extra episodes of the podcast, extra companion blog posts (see below), and more every week … all for the price of a fancy coffee. Learn about membership here.Prefer reading?Listening to the Art of Noticing podcast is only one way to get these lessons. Every episode of the podcast also has a complete companion blog post, all of which you can find here. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit johnnybtruant.substack.com