RECORD
The difference between being outdoors and making a connection to nature can be as simple as noticing your surroundings. Making a record of what you are witnessing can really focus your attention.
How you choose to record your experience is entirely up to you, simply spending a while committing the experience to memory may be all it takes. For me, the process of writing a few notes, making a sketch or taking a photograph really brings my attention to the space I am in. It lets me explore what is important to me and helps me remember.
When you have found a place you would like to stay a while, take a couple of deep breaths to focus your attention. Maybe you would choose to make a few notes. Take a moment to jot down what is happening around you. I often record the time of day, the weather, what birds I can hear or see, any wildflowers or insects, that sort of thing. Making notes can help you to observe any movements in the space and to listen with more focus, to tune in to the sounds and to the silence. It also improves your ability to remember the experience in more detail.
Perhaps you would choose to take one or two photographs. This can help bring your attention to points of interest in the place you have chosen. Perhaps you might focus on shadows, reflections, colours, movement, textures, patterns, flowers, fungi, insects. Whatever you choose to photograph, it might be best to focus on just one or two subjects to avoid being overwhelmed.
However you choose to record your time, let it be just enough to evoke a memory. It’s important not to let the process of recording take over from the experience of being there, so keep it to a minimum. Take care not to become more concerned with your handwriting or the composition of a photograph than the activity of the bird you are watching or the smell of the moss you are taking a picture of.
Drawing elements of our natural world is often a more lengthy process. For this reason I usually just make very quick, simple sketches. However, taking time to record nature through careful, considered drawings encourages us to spend longer immersed in the natural world which, in my view, can only be a good thing.
When you return from the great outdoors, if you feel so inclined, you could make something more permanent from your recordings. A poem or piece of creative writing, a song, a painting, print, collage or sculpture. It’s a great way to continue the experience and to create a more permanent reminder of your time.
I sometimes create mixed media responses to my adventures in nature. You can see them here.