The Practice of Attention

“When our attention splinters, so do we. Cody’s work–this book–is the thread that sewed me back together. It is not an exaggeration to say this book will save your life. It saved mine.”–Holly Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of Quit Like A Woman

“The only book we need right now.”–Samantha Irby, New York Times bestselling author of We Are Never Meeting in Real Life and Quietly Hostile

“Cody Cook-Parrott has written a beautiful book about the importance of attention and how we might turn to it in a world that is endlessly trying to capture ours. Cook-Parrott doesn’t try to convince you to turn your attention toward only things that can be monetized or things that are capital-P Productive. I love the way this gorgeous book reminds us that the beauty of nature is as worthy of our attention as so many other ways in which we spend our days. I will gift this book to many, and I am grateful for its existence.” –Esmé Weijun Wang, New York Times bestselling author of The Collected Schizophrenias

“Cody has created a road map for reclaiming the most precious of resources: our time on this planet and our impact upon it.”–Amelia Meath, musician

“With The Practice of Attention, Cody Cook-Parrott offers pathways of reflection and reclamation in a world that constantly pulls us away from the sacred. This is a book of practical reminders and artistic rituals for body, mind and spirit. Cook-Parrott delivers the simple and the profound in one place, giving us the gift of their accessible language and vulnerable process. Staying present isn’t easy work, but it is possible with intentional effort and creative determination. With their generous and radical honesty, Cook-Parrott exemplifies the hope and freedom resulting from the necessary undertaking of reclaiming attention.”–Jacqueline Suskin, author of A Year in Practice and Every Day is a Poem

“The tools in this book have radically reshaped my creative practice. I love how Cody unpacks the inner and outer forces that distract us from what really matters. Their invitations to audit our attention, reconnect with our bodies, and cultivate a creative research process are essential for every artist.”–Amelia Hruby, PhD, host of Off the Grid podcast, author of Your Attention is Sacred Except on Social Media

“The Practice of Attention has a big heart. It is not a book to read quickly and check off the to-do list. Instead, it is a book to be savored. We are encouraged to slow down, find presence and listen deeply. Cody offers compassionate guidance and generous practices that we can weave into our daily lives to re-invigorate the strength and capacity of attention. In these pages we find a compass that will bring us back to our power, again and again.”–Liz Migliorelli, herbalist, educator, storyteller

“Cody guides us gently and generously toward an approach to attention rooted in integrity. Their attention practices attend to the maker, student, teacher, and neighbor in us all, reminding us that attention is, at root, a connective force.”–Tamara Sanitbañez, writer and artist

“If you’ve ever deleted an app and still felt restless, The Practice of Attention will make sense of that feeling. Cody Cook-Parrott helps us move into what’s next, like a soft gentle path through the woods exploring areas like movement, community, creativity, and faith, grounded in both practice and in spirit.”–Seth Werkheiser, Social Media Escape Club

“The Practice of Attention is a warm and gentle appeal for how (and why) to live a more embodied, human life. In a world that is often noisy, distracted, and filled with screens and apps that scream for (and monetize) our attention, Cody has given us a book brimming with thoughtful questions, practical tips, and poetic inspiration that all come together to form a welcome pathway back to the self. Experiment with even one of the suggestions in these pages and you will find yourself changed.”–Nic Antoinette, writer

“In a world engineered to buy and sell our time, The Practice of Attention is a tender, luminous guide to the art of focus as an act of resistance. Through vivid storytelling and creative exercises, Cody Cook-Parrott offers an honest and compassionate roadmap out of distraction and back into connection–with ourselves, our work, and one another.”–Ellen Rutt, artist

“Reading The Practice of Attention feels like the best kind of conversation–inspiring, human, deep, full of curiosity. Cody writes to us all as if we are their dearest friend, it’s clear they want us to thrive, this book is an invitation to meet them in the aliveness they have cultivated over many years of exploration. The Practice of Attention is grounded in love, spirit, and sweetness, while not turning away from the complexities of being human. Full of tangible actions, prompts and questions–my book is tattered, dog-eared, and underlined.”–Chelsea Granger, artist

“Less screen time rocks, but why exactly? And what for? What means the most to you in your life? Reading The Practice of Attention gave me the desire and the courage to excavate my relationship with my distractions, good and bad. Through Cody’s story, I realized that my innate calling to reclaim my attention is not simply about time and creating more of it so that I may be more ambitious, productive, or prolific. This book helped me understand that my constant sense of yearning is actually connected to my desire for concentration and the healing power of focus. Cody’s fearless inventory was both an invitation and a push for me to open to channel and remember my life happens once.”–Sky Fusco, artist

Cody Cook-Parrott is a writer and artist living on the Leelanau Peninsula in northern Michigan. They facilitate a weekly writing group called Landscapes and teach classes about writing, quilting, and creative practice. They author the weekly newsletter Monday Monday and are the host of Common Shapes podcast. They are the author of the books How to Not Always Be Working and Getting to Center. Their work has been featured in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Dance Magazine, and The Huffington Post.

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