A nudge from nature

You are creative, I promise

Today it’s a nudge to draw. But don’t run away, please, I want everyone to try this, it will only take a few minutes I promise. Absolutely everyone can draw, you are creative and that’s why I’m here, to show you how to start. And it’s all about noticing, not what your art teacher said to you at school, whether you’ve done art classes or have enough art materials to open an art shop. You just need something to draw with and on and your eyes.

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In order to help me on my journey to a new career, nudging others into adding creativity and nature into their lives, I did some wonderful training last year with Dr Ali Foxon, on her concept of #greensketching. (I now have a certificate and everything!) Our principles are the same (of which I will do a whole other post) and underpin my ethos for Create with Nature, and her training gave me the confidence boost and structure to nudge me on my way to actually nudging others too. (too many nudges in this paragraph!?!) Do check out her website, her book ( you can also get it directly from Ali) and the #greensketching feed on Instagram.

But, as I’m actually writing this from bed, trying to get my symptoms under some kind of control, today I want to share one of her activities (from the book and workshops). I think it’s a wonderful way to demonstrate how noticing (and this can be applied to anything, creative and beyond) is the key to engaging in nature, being in the moment, and using this to be creative. As Ali puts it in her book (pg72)

This is a deceptively simple exercise that reveals the magic of observation… We all assume we know what things look like. And yet this exercise shows us how unreliable our assumptions can be and how much more we can see when we slow down and sketch something while observing it.

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So, the activity:

Think of a flower (one that is in flower now) that you think you know well, a daisy, tulip, or you could use a leaf. I went for a dandelion as their golden faces are brightening the world everywhere at the moment (more to come about them in the Create with Nature letter soon)

All you need is something to draw with, a pencil or pen, and some paper. Just to show you really don’t need proper art materials I used the back of an envelope and a biro!

First, draw your chosen flower/leaf from memory, don’t sneak a look before, just do it. I decided to draw mine from the side so I could include the stem and curly bits.

Drawing a dandelion from memory

Then, find the real thing. It’s best if you can do it outdoors with it actually in front of you, but, full disclosure, as it’s raining and I’m in my pyjamas I nipped into the garden and took a few photos. Now, spend a minute at least really looking at it and then draw it. Just do it, but keep looking at it while you draw. Don’t get too fixated on the perfect drawing, just keep in mind that as you notice how the elements of the flower fit together, that is going to translate to the page.

My drawing while noticing. I really did draw on an envelope with a biro!

Immediately, the drawing has more detail. Regardless of whether you know any technical skills, the drawing will be better because you have noticed things in front of you and put them into the drawing. Our memory is simply not good enough to hold all that information and then translate that to our hands to draw. I really couldn’t remember what dandelion leaves looked like so that’s next for me to draw while observing.

I think this concept can also be applied to writing, but that’s for another post.

So, I now nudge you gently, go and try this. You don’t have to show anyone, that’s another of the principles of #greensketching it’s entirely for you, rather than posting it on social media or having something to display on the wall. Just relax, and take a few moments for yourself.