Take a Walk With Your Nature Side
“Let’s go play outside!” exclaimed a young boy walking through the grocery store. Smiling, I thought to myself: “When is the last time I was bursting to play outside with that sort of enthusiasm?”. I am fortunate to live in a climate with mild winters, breezy oceanside walks and overflowing community gardens to admire. Using eco art therapy can invigorate our senses and bring a deeper awareness of ourselves and the world surrounding us. When we make art inspired by or using natural materials, we create wonder filled moments of play and exploration that lead to increased well-being and empathy.
Now the question is: how can we engage with the surrounding natural world in a new and playful way?
Get to Know Your Neighbours (Not the Human Kind)
Do you know what a giant onion looks like? Neither did I until last month, when I came across this big purple sphere of flowers on a tall green stalk. It’s not even related to an onion. Do you know the different types of star fish that have been popping up around the breakwater? There are lots to meet if you have a keen eye. Treat every walk like a scavenger hunt and find a new plant or animal neighbour that you haven’t met before. Find out their name, what habitat they like to live in, their ideal watering schedule, lifespan, and if they are endangered or at risk. To identify new neighbours in your community you could buy a new or used book from a local store, download an app on your phone, or take a picture for later to do an image search at home.
Create Art Materials From Nature
Canadian art therapist, Tyler Burke introduced me to the book Make Ink: A Forager’s Guide to Natural Inkmaking. The founder of the Toronto Ink Company, Jason Logan, does an amazing job of inspiring others to make ink from what they stumble upon in their environments. Word of caution is to identify what you are making natural ink from before you start, as some plants can be toxic to people or pet friends. I personally have made blueberry ink at home and after some experimentation can make 3 shades depending on what you add to the mix.
Another material you can make at home is sand dough. Think squishy, textured, probably messy, and fun. Making sand dough is a big experiment where you get to explore different types of sand depending on which beach you go to, what recipe do you want to use and what can your imagination dream up to add as a little extra (sprinkles, nutmeg, fairy dust).
Here is a simple recipe to get you started:
1 cup plain flour
1 cup sand
¼ cup salt
1tbsp cream of tartar
1 tbsp oil
¾ cup hot water
Add flour, sand, salt, and cream of tartar to a bowl and mix.
Add oil and water, then mix well until a dough forms.
Knead your sand dough and experiment with adding more sand or flour until the mixture is no longer sticky.
Next time you hear a child exclaim that they want to play outside maybe you’ll feel a jolt of excitement too and find wonder in your neighbourhood. Happy exploring and art making!