A Sense of Place
A Sense of Place
An exercise in Connecting with Nature
Part 1/ Inquiry
Ask yourself: “how do you perceive yourself in the world? How has this changed during and in your current circumstances?”
Assemble: 1) crayons, markers, pastels ,chalk
2) a surface on which to make marks: sketchbook, grocery bag, copy paper, back of an old greeting card, sidewalk, wood fence
3) object(s) from nature/ two to three objects or just one if that is what you have:
rocks, seeds, feathers, shells, bones. Go outside if you are able to collect these.
Part 2/ Observation
Choose one object from nature to focus on. What do you find attracting you to this object? Shape, color, how it feels to the touch, perhaps a sound that it makes?
Spend a few minutes with these thoughts.
Part 3/ Processing
Draw and write based on the following suggestions:
How you are feeling about your place in the world?
Draw the object
Draw you/ draw your place in the world
Write about place and how it has changed
How do you feel about this object?
Does the object represent something for you?
What were your thoughts when examining the object?
Part 4/ Going Forward
You might want to keep the object or your drawing/ writing.
Decide if you will keep the object or return it to nature. Place the object.
Will you keep your drawing/ writing, destroy it or give it away? Find a place for keeping or display, rid yourself of the drawing/ writing, give it to a person or a place.