Disguising Obvious Things

Here I am in London, trying to notice things that others don't.

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody ever notices."
-- Sherlock Holmes, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Chapter 3

Like many quintessential quotes from Sherlock Holmes, this one resonates because it's so clearly true and yet we may never have thought about it.

As a great detective, Holmes sees all of those things. (If you want to learn how to see all or most of them yourself, read Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes.) 

In some ways, the art of the mystery writer is exactly the opposite: I try to make sure you don't see those obvious things called clues. I insert them casually, or just before an action scene that distracts you, or in the midst of a comic episode. Most important of all, I try to make sure it looks like I'm giving you the information for some reason other than the fact that it's a clue.

So, is it easier to see the obvious or to hide the obvious? I'm not sure!