The Art of Looking (and Wandering)

It’s taken me some time to find my groove now that I’m back in the Pacific Northwest. Wandering through the forest helps me to remember the useful arts of looking, listening, and waiting. Inspiration, clarity, and understanding require a fair portion of patience and “receptiveness” to the unexpected.

The next time you have a chance to stroll through a park, garden, or forest, remember to slow your pace a bit and look, or listen, or simply breathe. If you cannot seem to find anything new, try a change of perspective: crane your neck upwards, squat down on your heels, lay on your belly, or simply turn around and look back on the path you’ve just traveled.