Cultivating Your Creative Life

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(Fogra 39) Job:02-28015/28050 Title:RP-Cultivating Your Creative Life

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(Fogra 39) Job:02-28015/28050 Title:RP-Cultivating Your Creative Life

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“A tree is an

incomprehensible mystery.”

—JI m WOODRING

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(Fogra 39) Job:02-28015/28050 Title:RP-Cultivating Your Creative Life

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Into the

Woods

Have you ever noticed the way a tree holds space? I like its per-

fect silhouette against the bright blue sky and the way its colors

shimmer and move effortlessly with the wind. To me, there is no

better example than a tree of something incredibly beautiful that

stays resilient despite its surroundings. Like nothing else, it quietly

becomes one with each changing season.

What a gentle reminder is each tree of the transformations we

all go through. It shows us there is something unified taking place

in our experience. It is surrendered in a state of grace. Trees hold a

timeless beauty that we all can embrace, a beauty that we all have

within ourselves.

[ Shown here iS a painting of a tree in Spring made with pen,

ink, and watercolor adorned with jewelS and two peacockS .

t he daYtime moon iS peeking out from the leaveS to give

a feeling of the changing hourS and cY cleS of each daY. ]

- 25 -

c hapter 2

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(Text)

—VINCENT VAN GOGH

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[ d rawing onlY certain impreSSionS , in abS tract

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into the woodS - 27 -

(Text)

Take your sketchbook with you the next time you walk in the woods. Begin to see the details all

around you. Notice how colors intermingle, light reflects, flowers come together in effortless group-

ings. Observe how numerous shapes can be expressed in one single blossom. Take in how nature

seems to dance without any pretentiousness or assumptions, as if it were saying, “The only time

is now, and in that, perfection can be found.” The beauty of the natural world is so immense and

restorative that it can turn any day around.

The next time you are outside, bring a sketchbook, pencil, and eraser. You can also bring pens

or any other media that you fancy. Sit beneath a tree and close your eyes. Just allow yourself to

follow your breath for five minutes. Notice how your breath moves up and down; allow each exhale

to release any tension. When thoughts come, let them pass like clouds, without grasping or trying

to control them. Feel every tiny hair on your arms and notice every sound. Hear the birds sing from

both near and far away.

Be aware of what feelings or sensations arise in you. Then slowly open your eyes and take it all

in. Begin to sketch. Start with exactly where you are, not where you wish you could be. Look out

onto the horizon and direct your gaze back to your surroundings. Notice how colors and shapes

shift in all directions. You do not need to sketch only what you see, but sketch what you feel as well.

Make up shapes and beings. Create a world around you—slowly, without judgment—that expresses

what you see in this moment. It can be as literal or imaginary as you want. Begin to ponder: What

do I find beautiful? What do I feel when I take in this scenery? Take a little time to draw shapes and

observations only. Draw what impresses you. Leave out what is not necessary. Your sketchbook will

serve as a visual library with words and images that come directly from you.

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