I took an architecture appreciation class years ago, and the instructor gave me two suggestions that have stuck with me ever since. The first was: Look up. Adhering to his advice, during my travels around the Unites States and the world I have admired and enjoyed features on buildings I would otherwise have missed—grotesque stone gargoyles staring down at the setting below, lovely murals painted on walls high above street level and other ornamentations that vie in magnificence with many a work of art I have seen in museums.
My mentor also recommended seeking beauty everywhere, not just in world-famous structures that many people visit. This can include not only appearance but also touches of history, engineering acumen and other traits that the casual observer might overlook.
