Perceptions trained in another climate and another landscape have had to be modified. That means we have had to learn to quit depending on perceptual habit. Our first and hardest adaptation was to learn all over again how to see. Our second was to learn to like the new forms and colors and light and scale when we had learned to see them. Our third was to develop new techniques, a new palette, to communicate them. And our fourth, unfortunately out of of our control, was to train an audience that would respond to what we wrote or painted.
Wallace Stegner emphasizes the need for adaptation when encountering a different environment. He suggests that individuals must modify their perceptions shaped by previous experiences in distinct climates and landscapes. This adaptation begins with relearning how to see the world and appreciate its new forms, colors, and scales, moving beyond habitual ways of perception.
The process does not stop there; as one begins to appreciate these changes, they must also develop new artistic techniques and tools to effectively convey their observations. Additionally, there's the challenging task of cultivating an audience that will respond positively to these new expressions, which is often beyond the artist’s control.
