Day 12: Hidden echoes
The songs of particular birds enjoy iconic status in our culture, for example the cuckoo as the harbinger of spring, and the blackbird as the sound of summer. For me, the most evocative bird songs are the almost concussive blast of pure, sweet music exploding from the tiny wren in my backyard, and the near plaintive call of the red kites regularly circling overhead.
This little Scottish starling is living in long derelict farm buildings. His song includes farm sounds that would have been produced long before this bird could have been born.
(If you are registered with BBC iplayer you can also listen to the story behind it if you click 'the starling's story'.)
Day 13:
Connecting with your tactile creativity
Creating something with our hands allows us to channel our imagination and bypasses our self-consciousness. Experiencing the feel of different textures whilst allowing my creativity to flow is both absorbing and satisfying. Often I am taken by surprise by how the finished piece turns out.
This fella has it really mastered!
Day 14: Closing
By retracing our steps in our imagination we relive the experience and reconnect with places and characters we encountered. Taking time to reflect upon a journey we have experienced can often reveal new insights and understanding. As I reflect upon my journey with this 14 day sensory odyssey, I’m struck by how daunting the task of creating 14 different exercises appeared before I embarked upon it. But as I progressed with each day’s exercise, the next would just suggest itself. It seems that the very act of commiting to the creation of this odyssey brought forward the inspiration needed to complete it. Mostly though, I’m feeling boundless gratitude to nature for the innumerable ways in which she makes life possible.
My friend Drew Dellinger encapsulates it beautifully here:
And finally....this for you, because it is just beautiful!
