A Co-researcher’s journey of discovery – Beth’s Story
What is my relationship with art & nature?
What are my art materials?
“I’m just delighting in yarn, yarn, and yarn! Natural fibres like wool and cotton link me to nature. Thinking about all the steps it takes to go from fleece on a sheep or cotton on a plant, to yarn in a skein, reminds me that my life is quite removed from the lives of my rural ancestors. Yarn is a finished product, and the raw material for useful things like scarves, clothing, blankets. There’s an element of magic in the transformation, and I’m in awe of the people who figured it all out.”
How does nature help me?
“Nature helps me to notice processes that last much longer than my lifetime (e.g., the life of a large tree, erosion, the change from a pond to a bog to a marsh to dry land). Or it might help me remember that whole lives occur in a metaphorical blink of an eye – the lives of insects, for example. Nature puts my concerns into perspective. By paying attention to nature, I close off other trains of thought and become open to an awareness of that which is greater than myself. This can fill me with joy and comfort.”

