DISCOVERING THE MAGIC OF GREEN SKETCHING: Embrace Nature, Creativity, and Mindfulness

“It combines the benefits of nature connection, mindfulness and creativity in one simple activity.”– Dr Ali Foxon

These days I have come across a very nice book “The Green Sketching Handbook” by Dr Ali Foxon. This is how I understood that one of my favourite activities in nature is actually called “Green Sketching”. I was absolutely thrilled, excited and inspired to discover that my idea about sketching in nature is actually well researched and highly beneficial in many aspects. This is something that I have discovered experientially for myself and my family, but was never able to communicate in such a brilliant way that Dr Foxon did.

When we go for a nature walk, I always keep in my backpack some pencils and a notebook (I recently also added a small pack of watercolours and a couple of brushes). With my daughter we also like very much making our own nature-paint-brushes, using all sorts of grasses, leaves, moses … For this you also need a bit of string – something that’s also always available in my bag.

Green sketching emphasised the joy of discovery and observation, not the creation of a perfect picture. It is an innovative approach towards sketching, seeing it not as purely artistic practice but as a tool to see and enjoy and appreciate nature’s beauty in your own way and for your own wellbeing. Green sketching is a mindfulness practice that comprises all goodness of nature connection and is helping our mental health and wellbeing. Including the fact that learning to accept our perfectly imperfect doodles can help accept our perfectly imperfect selves.

Dr Foxon gives us 10 reasons to start practising and loving green sketching:

1. Sketching nature helps us see more
2. Sketching nature helps us remember and strengthens our memory
3. Sketching nature helps us slow down
4. Sketching nature helps us focus and be mindful
5. Sketching nature lifts us our spirits and helps us stabilise and reset our own moods
6. Sketching nature helps us savour and potentially intensify the wellbeing benefits of looking at nature
7. Sketching nature strengthens our relationship with nature – once you’ve sketch something, you build a relation with it
8. Sketching nature is grounding – research has shown that our attachment to a place influences both our mental wellbeing and our pro-environmental behaviour
9. Sketching nature helps us being creative
10. Sketching helps you to reconnect with yourself

Isn’t it amazing that one simple activity can offer the combined and proven benefits of time in the outdoors, creativity, mindfulness and nature connections?

Why not give the green sketching a try?

Pop up in your bag a couple of pencils, notepad, sharpener and eraser. You may go on your own, or take the kids and family with you 😉

If you wonder where from to start – try this:

1. Go for a walk in a nature place – local park, reserve, beach or even your own backyard
2. Collect some random nature objects – anything that’s already laying on the ground and catches your eyes – leaves, sticks, stones, shells, pinecones, acorns, pieces of bark …
3. Take care to not disturb or damage living creatures
4. Take a comfortable seat with your small collection
5. Arrange you objects – so you can see them nicely
6. Take a moment to breath and enjoy your treasures
7. Start drawing them
8. Enjoy the process, do not try to be perfectionist

Keep in mind this is just an invitation, you can always organise your green sketching in a different way 🙂
Remember, you do not need to share your doodles with anybody, it is just for you.