Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What can a handful of sycamore seeds teach us?
I started drawing them simply because I kept noticing them everywhere. The more closely I looked, the more I realised that no two were quite the same. Drawing them became an exercise in paying attention rather than making art.
That made me think... in a world where AI can generate images in seconds, what is the point of drawing? What is the value of paying careful attention to the ordinary things around us?
This video is in a series where I’ll be using sketchbooks, drawing and observation to explore creativity, attention and what it means to be human in the age of AI.
If that sounds interesting, I’d love you to subscribe and join me as I figure it out.
What have you learned by slowing down and really looking at something? Let me know in the comments.
Shoo Rayner is an author, illustrator and visual author exploring creativity through drawing.
Subscribe to this channel ➡️ bit.ly/Sub2Shoo for lots more drawing videos
Website for my newsletter, images, books and to support this channel - shoorayner.com
00:00 - Intro: Why Draw Sycamore Seeds?
00:30 - Discovery: The "Garage Roof Forest"
01:50 - Noticing the Individuality of Seeds
02:45 - Why Our Assumptions About Nature are Often Wrong
03:40 - Finding Beauty in "Weeds"
04:20 - The Aerodynamics of the Sycamore "Helicopter"
05:40 - Investing Time: Drawing vs. Instagram Scrolling
06:50 - The Studio Nature Table: Enormous Varieties
08:00 - Value in Attention: Capturing Subtle Pinks
09:50 - Sketching as a Tool for Giving Attention
11:15 - Living in the "Attention Economy"
11:55 - Stealing vs. Giving Your Attention
14:45 - Questioning the Purpose of Art and Creativity
15:20 - Developing a Philosophy for a Post-AI World
16:20 - Interpretive vs. Generative AI
18:50 - Sketching as a Way into the Story
19:30 - Final Thoughts: Being a Visual Author
What can a handful of sycamore seeds teach us?
I started drawing them simply because I kept noticing them everywhere. The more closely I looked, the more I realised that no two were quite the same. Drawing them became an exercise in paying attention rather than making art.
That made me think... in a world where AI can generate images in seconds, what is the point of drawing? What is the value of paying careful attention to the ordinary things around us?
This video is in a series where I’ll be using sketchbooks, drawing and observation to explore creativity, attention and what it means to be human in the age of AI.
If that sounds interesting, I’d love you to subscribe and join me as I figure it out.
What have you learned by slowing down and really looking at something? Let me know in the comments.
Shoo Rayner is an author, illustrator and visual author exploring creativity through drawing.
Subscribe to this channel ➡️ bit.ly/Sub2Shoo for lots more drawing videos
Website for my newsletter, images, books and to support this channel - shoorayner.com
00:00 - Intro: Why Draw Sycamore Seeds?
00:30 - Discovery: The "Garage Roof Forest"
01:50 - Noticing the Individuality of Seeds
02:45 - Why Our Assumptions About Nature are Often Wrong
03:40 - Finding Beauty in "Weeds"
04:20 - The Aerodynamics of the Sycamore "Helicopter"
05:40 - Investing Time: Drawing vs. Instagram Scrolling
06:50 - The Studio Nature Table: Enormous Varieties
08:00 - Value in Attention: Capturing Subtle Pinks
09:50 - Sketching as a Tool for Giving Attention
11:15 - Living in the "Attention Economy"
11:55 - Stealing vs. Giving Your Attention
14:45 - Questioning the Purpose of Art and Creativity
15:20 - Developing a Philosophy for a Post-AI World
16:20 - Interpretive vs. Generative AI
18:50 - Sketching as a Way into the Story
19:30 - Final Thoughts: Being a Visual Author
