I remember sitting by Lake Michigan on Sunday mornings during the pandemic. Sitting, observing, and listening to the water’s movement put my mind at ease, helping me reach a meditative state. Nature is incredibly healing. During this time in my life, our home became a sanctuary for plants and the scent of Golden Coast incense. I share this story because I discovered that being vulnerable is key to personal and professional growth, and I was able to do so in nature. This mindset and way of being has allowed me to become more open to how I feel in the present moment, a better listener, and more attentive to the finer details.
Frank at Whitefish Dunes State Park in Door County, Wisconsin. Photo by Mary Lou Mayr.
Nature Gives Us Hope and Optimism
I found this weekly routine served multiple purposes: It provided a neutral space for me to be alone with my thoughts, to take care of my mental health, and to remain hopeful and optimistic about the future.
Lately, I have been reading The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin (Penguin Press, 2023). I like how the book is laid out into digestible chapters organized as areas of thought. The first chapter talks about how everyone is a creator. This introduction sets the stage for deeper reflection. “To create is to bring something into existence that wasn’t there before.” “Attuned choice by attuned choice, your entire life is a form of self-expression. You exist as a creative being in a creative universe. A singular work of art.” Reading provides another space to wonder, to hope, and to think about the impact of creating.
In This Issue
How we define nature varies based on our experiences. The definition is influenced by where we live, what we believe in, and how we surround ourselves.
In the elementary lesson “The Wonders of Nature” (p. 32), Leigh Drake incorporates a favorite medium to teach her students about observation and inspiration. Photography is a great way for students to capture the present moment by sharing personal narratives about nature.
Amanda Schaeffer’s middle-school lesson “Seeds of Change” (p. 34) integrates creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving to empower students to take action through experiential and collaborative learning. Teaching students about the importance of sustaining natural and growing systems in addressing environmental issues can impact the community at large and future generations.
At the high-school level, Kathleen Petka’s “Trash to Treasure” (p. 29) connects the idea that one person’s garbage is another person’s treasure. Scavenging for found materials is a cost-effective way of creating three-dimensional art that gives discarded items a new life and teaches students about protecting the environment by eliminating waste.
Art is a powerful medium that opens the door to possibilities and opportunities. Incorporate nature, and those possibilities are endless.
Art teachers use nature to inspire students to become more in tune with themselves and the world around them. Young students take a mindful approach as they collage an imaginary place in which they feel calm, elementary students create visual responses that evoke empathy for those experiencing environmental disasters, middle-school students collaborate to create a sustainable felted planter for a community garden, high-school students build custom birdhouses for residents at a local retirement village, and more.
