Tools in my ruck: Part 2 – art
Art? Wait a minute, I thought you were an adventurer, not an artist. Well friends, I think you’ll find they are one in the same. As we dive into our second part in the series of the tools I carry in my ruck, one of my favorites is my nature journaling kit. When I’m out in the wild, one of the ways I connect most deeply with my true self and the One who created the wilderness is by drawing it. Instead of just taking a pretty picture to post on social media, I sit in the moment and enjoy it just for me. Sketching in general is good for your brain, but even moreso if you engage your heart into it. As my nature journaling mentor John Muir Laws describes it, “Keeping an illustrated, observational journal is a centuries-old method that has been reenvisioned and refined through the lens of our understanding of neuroscience, learning, and deliberate practice. A nature journal is a lens that focuses our attention and crystalizes our observations, thoughts, and experiences.”
If this is a new category for you, I challenge you to go to your nearest art supply store, pick up a travel watercolor kit, a sketchbook, a couple of pencils, and water brushes. Try it out! Blunder around! Here’s a great video from John Muir Laws to get you started:
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