Chances are you've practiced a little Miksang without knowing it; if you're a street photographer (or a compulsive iPhone photographer) you've definitely dabbled, perhaps knowingly. The term "Miksang" is Tibetan and means "good eye." It has been described as the art of seeing without biases, filters, or judgement, with a focus on the "discovery" of everyday things. It's an exploration of how the elements of design-- line, shape, form, texture, color, and pattern-- illicit emotion when stripped of their meaning. The image isn't a chain wrapped around a pole, it's texture, strangulation, liberation, and confinement. (I'm not suggesting that the above image is a good example of Miksang because frankly I have no real expertise in this area; it is, however, Miksang.)
Such a broad and vaguely defined term begs for abuse, and it wouldn't surprise me if in a couple of years it "becomes all the rage" amongst undisciplined artistic types. Frankly, I'm surprised it hasn't already, especially in a place like San Francisco where I'm from. Nonetheless, I think the idea poses an interest challenge, a reminder to look deeper. I wrote about pre-visualization a couple of days ago. This is the exact opposite.
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