This week’s explorations at the intersection of nature, art and wisdom. Rocking the world The beauty of the world can knock us sideways. Here, for example, are some samples of marble, destined to be countertops or shower walls. To think: nature makes this. And: how can we not stop in awe every time we walk […]

This week’s explorations at the intersection of nature, art and wisdom. Kills me with delight We start, as I often do in life, with poet Mary Oliver. Here she speaks to her artistic process, which begins in nature… and ends up with her being lost “inside this soft world”. In my little formula: noticing+awe=wisdom=art. What’s […]

This week’s explorations at the intersection of nature, art and wisdom. Beauty in bleakness this winter Appreciation of subtlety – of the small things, of the drab things – is important. It’s like enjoying well-cooked meals vs. sugar-salt-fat processed foods. Shifting our perspective to appreciate the usually unappreciated adds value to every day. Take a […]

This week’s explorations at the intersection of nature, art and wisdom. In the ordinary This is something I know I’ll come back to time and time again here: the notion that the sacred is in the ordinary. Look at a square foot of ground and you find a universe; watch a bird take off and […]

This week’s explorations at the intersection of nature, art and wisdom. Humans + Nature = Art? Let’s start with this lovely video about the Dehesa, in the SW Iberian peninsula, where trees, wildlife and humans have co-existed sustainably. Who says art isn’t created here? Those plains, those trees. Humans + nature = art? Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7AAHNxuPj0 […]

This week’s explorations at the intersection, of nature, art and wisdom. Harvesting without killing Burning things for energy is generally considered a “bad thing” these days. That includes burning wood, which in the industrial age is usually harvested unsustainably, providing zero benefits in terms of carbon reductions. Welcome (back) coppicing – the way we used […]

This week’s five explorations at the intersection, of nature, art and wisdom. Dam good artists I’m lucky to live in a place with plenty of beavers. Indeed, beavers made this place, creating wetlands where there were none. Take a look at this article: a list, with pictures, of the best beaver dams the author found […]

This week’s five explorations at the intersection, of nature, art and wisdom. “There is nothing now but kestrel” I was reminded of this wonderful quote from Iris Murdoch on how the beauty of art and nature provokes “unselfing”. In my opinion, getting out of the self’s way is critical to the deeper connection we need […]