Guest Author - Debbie Striker
Recently, I spent the weekend at a wonderful festival. We camped out for three days and had an amazing time. As I was driving home from this event, I felt refreshed and filled with creative ideas. Spending time in nature, in touch with the earth and with all the possibilities around you, it’s impossible not to be awed by how abundantly creative the world is.
When you share that abundance with a group of people, it becomes even more awe inspiring. Sharing your thoughts and feelings around a campfire lends a sacredness to them. Sharing meals that are contributed to by the community and created in a special way also brings a sense of something greater than yourself to the moment.
Camping requires you to pay close attention to your environment. To look closely at the land around you. To set up your tent, you need to make sure the ground is mostly level, check for rocks and other debris that may be uncomfortable or damaging to your tent. You need to look out for plants like poison ivy and make sure you are not in an area that could become dangerous if it rains. All of these things take your mind off of your every day stresses and allow you to focus in the moment, which can be a wonderful break in itself.
Out in nature you can slow down, take more time to look around as you walk from place to place. You can take the time you need to watch the stars and contemplate natures patterns. While walking through the woods you need to pay close attention to your environment so you don’t trip over sticks or stumble in a hole. Your mind needs to focus on what you are doing more than what stress you have waiting for you at home.
Connecting with nature and spending some time contemplating that which is around you is a great way to reconnect with yourself and find the inspiration you’ve been seeking. Whether you camp by yourself or gather with your extended family, a community group, a church group or other organization, it can be a fun and memorable time. My favorite way to camp is during festivals because you have a huge group of like minded people surrounding you for an entire weekend. The conversations that take place are relaxed and in-depth, so you have a chance to really think out new designs and creative endeavors. I encourage you to seek out this type of camping event in your area and give it a try if you’ve never attended one before.
