Art and Nature

I am fortunate enough to be able to go out for a daily walk. I have a furry companion of nearly 14 years now; my dog, although he is getting old and cannot walk as far as we used to.

It is on my walks that I often process a lot of what is happening in my life at the time; walking has been proven to help therapeutically. Walking stimulates both lobes of the brain – bilateral stimulation; much like the drawings I do – and this allows the processing of emotional memories in a way similar to EMDR therapy.

Walking engages the body’s wisdom; moving allows us to release stored trauma; be fully present and participate in a form of somatic experiencing. It can lower cortisol levels, increase endorphins and reduce blood pressure. If you are able to walk in a space populated with trees, then there are further benefits. Being in a woodland location enables us to breathe in phytoncides. These are natural compounds emitted by trees that act as the plants immunity defence and if we breathe them in they also increase our immunity. But beyond enhancing our immunity, phytoncides are also stress reducers; stimulating our ability to rest and digest – so if you can go walk where there are trees!

Walking can also inspire creativity.

I googled ‘art and nature’ and there were over 900,000 responses. Of course. A while ago I tasked myself with identifying colours on my walk and as I did I was amazed to notice so many colours that I had previously never noticed! I understand this is now a social media phenomena, with people posting videos and images – it’s a fun thing to do. But mostly what it does is open your mind to all that is out there. Gets you out of your head and really looking at what is around you. Allows the vastness of the world around you to flood in. Mindfulness. Being present.

As I walked this morning, I noticed all the shapes I was seeing – the lines of the stone paths; the twigs and branches fallen to the floor; the footprints in the snow; the leaf shapes. And when I saw all these I noticed I was once again flooded with the wonder of the world around me and how I , so many times, walk these steps completely in my head and unnoticing of the beauty there is. This is inspiration and awe. This is a sign of a resting nervous system. This is where we want to be.

All of these are inspiration for creativity. So, follow the lines. What comes up for you?   Play. Practice. It doesn’t matter what you do, but start. I know – staring at that sheet of white paper is scary but this is my invitation to you to play; to mess around and allow yourself to be beautifully imperfect.

If you need some ideas, take a look at this book, written by a good friend - Art is Everywhere: Trees: Amazon.co.uk: Garbutt, Anna-Marie: 9798308648826: Books. Artists such as Andy Goldsworthy, Trudi Entwistle, Georgia O Keefe and so many more all inspired by nature. Google ‘art and nature’!

In a world where perfection and the need for a saleable final piece is front and centre – messing about is an act of rebellion. Let me know what you think in the comments.

Go on – be a rebel!