Creative coping in a chaotic world: Creating in nature
Photos by Ashleigh Rogers
It is a well-researched and scientifically backed principle that therapeutic art practices can aid in overall wellness, whether that be physical, mental, or emotional.
Art practices are used in treatments for Parkinson’s, PTSD, Alzheimer’s, substance use disorder, pain management, and more with great success.
While many of us do not have access to an art therapy program, there are art practices that have therapeutic benefits, require few supplies, and can be performed in the comfort of your own space.
Creating in Nature
Dozens of scientific studies confirm that spending time outside can improve mental health for many people — it can boost cognition, happiness levels, empathy, cooperation, and more. However, some studies suggest that simply being in nature isn't enough to maximize the benefits, and that it is the feeling of being connected to nature that allows your time outside to serve you best! Creating art in and with nature provides an opportunity to experience the best benefits of both practices.
Here are some ideas to get started:
Found object art
Supplies: A bit of time outdoors; access to a park, path, or patch of nature; a bag or basket; a camera or phone (if you would like to document your creation)
For this practice, decide on a nature-related item you would like to collect (e.g. feathers or rocks), then move for 15 minutes through a space where you can observe nature. As you travel, scan the path ahead with the intention of finding and collecting the items you chose. The meditation of being immersed in observation will help calm your body’s nervous system, and the focus on finding your self-assigned item will help your mind center. Each time your thoughts wander to something stressful or distracting, gently bring yourself back to the search for your items.
At the end of your expedition, take some time to arrange your items in a way that satisfies you — by color or size, or in a pleasing shape or figure. You can photograph your creation, or journal, or simply observe, but spend time reflecting before returning your items to nature, or leaving your creation for someone else to find. (NOTE: Only leave natural things in nature! If your creation includes items that other people have left behind, please take them with you when you’re finished.)
Reflection questions:
How did this process shift how you viewed the environment you were in? What did you notice that you have not noticed before? What materials did you choose, and what influenced your selection? What feelings or thoughts arose about spending your time this way? How did your body feel before, during, and after your process?
Clay prints
Supplies: A bit of time outdoors; access to a park, path, or patch of nature; air-dry clay or play doh (and optional paint and paper)
Spend a few minutes moving through an outdoor space, where you can observe nature. Collect several items with an appealing or interesting texture, like leaves, seed pods, or pieces of bark. Flatten a chunk of your clay and experiment with different arrangements of your items on top. When you have created a composition you like, firmly press the items into the clay to create an impression. Carefully remove the items and allow the clay to dry. When it has dried, you can paint or seal the clay for display.
Other options:
Paint the clay while it is still soft and lay paper on top of the wet paint to make a paper print, revealing the shapes within the negative space of your item.
Poke a small hole in the top of your clay piece before it dries for hanging as an ornament or decoration.
Leaf rubbing
Supplies: Collected leaves, paper, and crayons
Many of us did rubbings as children; it is fun to revisit those practices and experience them with adult perspectives. Begin by collecting fallen leaves you find interesting (not too crispy, or they will crumble when you work with them). Place the leaf under your drawing paper, remove the paper wrapper from your crayon, and, using its side, rub it firmly over the paper that covers the leaf to capture its texture. Repeat with a variety of leaves and colors. Experiment by overlapping leaves, only doing etchings within a predetermined shape, or adding watercolor or acrylic paint over areas of your etching.
Reflection questions:
How did you make your leaf selections? What did you notice about the leaves that you wouldn’t typically notice? How did you feel using crayons to make art? Do you remember doing an activity like this as a child? How does it feel similar? How does it feel different?
Cairns
Supplies: A bit of time outdoors; access to a park, path, or patch of nature; a camera or phone (if you would like to document your creation); rocks (different shapes and sizes); a flat surface
A cairn is a person-made rock stack or tower, used throughout history in almost every region of the world for various purposes — markers for burial sites or trails, spiritual ceremonies, etc.
To begin, set aside a chunk of time where you will not be disturbed; you need to focus all your energy toward this practice. As you collect stones, reflect on your intentions. Is this cairn being built in remembrance? If so, who are you building it for? Is your intention mindfulness or connecting to nature? Are you reflecting on a current challenge? When you have your intention in mind, take a deep breath, and begin balancing your stones in a tower — a cairn can be as few as three stones.
When it feels complete, reflect on the process and what it brought up for you. You can photograph your cairn if you would like a reminder of this moment before dismantling it and returning the stones.
NOTE: Avoid building cairns in sensitive areas that could harm vegetation or disrupt wildlife. Check local regulations if you are on a trail or in a national/state park, as there are sometimes restrictions against building cairns (they are often used as official trail markers). If cairns are permitted, the best etiquette is to select stones that are not in water to avoid disrupting wildlife. Then build, photograph, and dismantle — leave no trace!
Ashleigh Rogers is an artist, art instructor, and facilitator in Tri-Cities, Washington. Her work explores the themes of connection and intergenerational stories through experimentation in painting, photography, installation, and sculpture. Ashleigh is passionately dedicated to facilitating accessible arts programming in her community.
Find her on Facebook: fb.com/AshleighRogersArt or Instagram: ashleigh.a.rogers
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