Day 2 - OPENING UP INSPIRATION 

Hello and welcome back to Day 2 - Opening Up Inspiration. Today we’ll be using our experiences of looking at nature to think more deeply about how these make us feel, and what we might be most drawn to as a creative. 

Day Two video

‘Revisiting’ our time with nature

To begin, spend 5 minutes looking at your photos and colour palette from Day 1. Here are some questions you could think about while looking at them:

  • Which part of the experience did you enjoy the most?

  • Were there aspects of it you didn’t enjoy? Why?

  • Which of your 9 photos is your favourite?

  • Were there any other photos you wanted to include?

  • What words would you use to describe your palette - ie. ‘earthy’, ‘Autumnal’, ‘warm’ or ‘bright’?

  • This one will warm up your imagination - if you were naming your palette what would you call it?

Writing out your experience

Keep your palette and images in front of you if possible. We’re now going to spend 10 minutes free writing/ talking about our experience yesterday. For those who haven’t done it before - free writing is when you sit for a set period of time, and simply write whatever you think onto the page. You don’t need to worry about making things sound elegant, or fixing your spelling. It’s an opportunity just to explore your thoughts and record them in the quickest way you can. You can write on anything you like - on a piece of paper or in a sketchbook, but if you’d prefer you can download the free writing template below.

If you aren’t comfortable with writing then why not record yourself talking about the experience instead? Most mobile phones, tablets and computers will have a means of making a voice recording. If you have Google Chrome installed you can voice type into a Google Doc - simply open a new Google Doc, click ‘Tools’, then ‘Voice typing’ and you’ll be able to click the microphone symbol and it will transcribe your voice as you speak. 

Whichever method you choose, if you can set a timer so you can avoid looking up and getting distracted while writing. The aim is to write, or speak, as continuously as possible for the 10 minutes to see where your brain takes you!

ADD FREE WRITING TEMPLATE

Finding what resonates

How did you find the 10 minutes? Did it feel like a long time, or did it rush by?

Did anything surprise you?

Now we’re going to read or listen back to what we created in those 10 minutes.

If you wrote your thoughts down then use a pen to underline any words or lines that really stood out for you. If you recorded your thoughts in audio, jot down on paper the bits you think were most important, or put them in bold if you used a voice typing programme. 

From these, let’s choose either one sentence or three words that really seem to represent your experience with nature, or that you feel are the most meaningful. 

Illuminating your writing


Have you ever seen an illuminated manuscript? They are hand-written books which have been intricately decorated and illustrated with brightly coloured inks and gold and silver leaf. (You can see examples and learn more about them here if you’d like to.)

Using any materials you’d like to, write out your sentence or three words. How you do this is completely up to you, but here are a few ideas:

  • Use coloured pencils or inks in the colours of your palette

  • Use textured or coloured paper

  • Paint the paper with watered down paint to create a wash

  • Collage leaves or other materials you can find and collect on to your artwork

  • Illustrate your words with doodles, or more detailed linework if you’d like to

  • Print the words onto paper in your favourite font!

The aim of this activity is to create something that - if you’d like to - you could put up to remind you of the ways you as an individual connect with nature, and how you can express this through your own creativity. Putting up words or sentences can act as a touchstone to remembering what sparks your curiosity and creativity when the everyday is taking up most of your time and energy. I know for me it is a good reminder to find 10 minutes in my day to let myself connect with those parts of myself, and I hope it can offer that you you occassionally too.

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s activities, and that you are looking forward to Day 3 tomorrow ‘Collecting Curiosity’.