Unlock Your Creative Potential: Using Nature as Your Muse
Muse: a person or personified force who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist.
~ Source UNKNOWN
Welcome to my first, brand-spanking new blog!
What I love about blogs is that I get to elaborate on a single story, theme or particular subject of interest. I love fleshing out ideas and concepts to get to the heart of things…to take a deep dive into what truly matters…to turn these things over in my mind and then feel into them.
Working out what makes people tick and contemplating all the incredible things in our world…the complexity, the vastness and sheer unfathomable design of the cosmos…these are what keep me curious and wanting to discover more.
How about you? Do you perhaps feel the same way?
Through this blog, I hope to help you develop a deeper appreciation and knowledge of birds and plants and the area where you live. My blog will mostly be about Australian birds and plants, and the ecosystems they inhabit, because that’s where I live and that’s what personally inspires my designs. But regardless of where you live, I want to encourage you to explore your own neck of the woods!
How can you do that? Read on to find out how.
Each month I’ll be showcasing a local reserve, national park or a location that I’ve visited. It will be an exploration through the use of my photography, drawing and/or painting skills and every so often I’ll be connecting with like-minded people. I’ll be covering subjects such as birdlife, native plants, the landscape and/or geography. I’ll also include any links to resources, groups or organisations that I think may help support your own endeavours.
I hope my own explorations will have you considering more deeply, the spaces that are within a short distance from where you are and how you can explore them too. So try using these places and nature as your own personal muse, to inspire creativity.
Whether your form of creativity is through art, dance, sport, science or any other area, nature journaling can help the brain to find unique solutions and pathways you may not have been aware existed. Creativity is not just for artists – it’s for each one of us.
Nature Journaling Walk
This first month of my blog, I want to encourage you to put pen to paper and explore the outdoors through Nature Journaling. So to help you do this, I’ll be hosting a bi-monthly (at this stage) Nature Journaling Walk that you can participate in (if you’re not local to Brisbane, I encourage you to start your own nature journaling walks, whether that be formally as a promoted group or informally, with a few friends).
I figure that I’ll be going out myself to explore and practice my own nature journaling, so why not invite others who would like to get out and move their body, appreciate and enjoy nature and improve their observation and drawing skills. It’s also an opportunity to come together and enjoy the company of like-minded people, because a shared experience is often more memorable.
Nature Journaling Walk
Saturday 1st April, 2023 at Berrinba Wetlands. For details and to RSVP please click here.
If you’re worried because you think you can’t draw, please don’t feel discouraged. I myself am not an expert, and am only starting to develop my own nature journaling skills. So let’s encourage each other. Just come along with no expectations but to have fun, play with the idea and have a crack at it.
Nature Journaling Links & Tips
I would recommend to keep it simple to begin with. Here are a couple of links if you’re unsure how to approach it. The first one is a beginner’s guide to nature journaling. What I love about this article is how the author encourages the use of all your senses to take in your surroundings and not only record what you see, by way of drawing, but also to record details such as any sounds, smells, experiences and how you feel during the walk.
The second link is to an article on nature journaling for kids: supplies to get started. I love that this article is about keeping things really, really simple. Sometime less is more.
Lastly, I’m really happy to announce that we will be joined by experienced hiking and nature enthusiast, Sally ,from Get Out There Adventures! I met Sally a few years back now during one of her organised bushwalks for women who want to get and explore nature within a safe, relaxed and supportive environment. So for any avid hikers or bushwalkers, it will be a great opportunity to pick Sally’s brain. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to hiking and is an all-round easy-going and uplifting person to be around.
Here is the link again to the Facebook Event Page with all the details and a map of Berrinba Wetlands.
So…will you join me? I look forward to seeing there if you can get along!
Until next time…
…enjoy good things!
P.S. if you do get out and try some nature journaling, I’d love for you to share your work as I want to encourage you. And if you’re comfortable, let me know if you’re okay for me to share publicly. If not, that’s okay – just let me know. You can email me at hello@kerrywarnholtz.com.
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