I’m sitting at my dining-room table, staring intently at a piece of toast. This might sound like an extremely dull way to spend a Saturday afternoon, but there is much more to this simple piece of bread than one might think. I stare at the infinite little holes and tiny crevices, and I notice the way it curves slightly from being heated. I look at the small burned spot and the seeds along the crust. There seems to be an endless amount of visual stimulation in this ostensibly mundane slice of bread, yet I never thought to really look at it before. Usually, the process goes as follows: Make the toast. Eat the toast. Repeat as needed.

But as part of my #lifereboot journey, I’ve started taking a closer look at everything around me and finding beauty within the ordinary. This is the guiding principle behind the art class I am taking at Sketchbook Skool, an online school that encourages drawing and keeping a sketchbook regardless of your skill level. The course is entitled “Seeing,” and for the first assignment, I am tasked with drawing a piece of toast. As a newbie artist, my sketch won’t be hanging in an art gallery anytime soon, but that’s not the point. It’s about learning to slow down, be observant and gain a new perspective.

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