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When A Tree Falls (441)

Amy Creative Journey | Featured | Notion | Philosophical Threads | Podcast | Sketchnote , , , , ,

Episode 441 When a Tree Falls

Episode 441 of the CMP, a Creativity Matters Podcast — pondering the age-old question about falling trees and an inspiring sketchnote interview

I’m always enjoyed the “when a tree falls and no one is looking, does it make a sound?” question. I like contemplating if we really see the same thing as someone else does when we both use the same language to describe it (e.g., blue), too. Philosophical questions are always of interest, but the tree in this show is a real tree (or several real trees). I don’t know if a tree really fell or not. I suspect one did. And there was a sound. Did the sound go with the tree? I don’t know, but the question intrigues me, and every time I look out the window at the spread of trees, I wonder, “Do they look different?”

And then I wish I had thumbnails that I could flip to in my sketchbook to show me what those trees have looked like in the past.

When Wanderers Cease to Roam is a great book to check out if you haven’t done so before. I have talked about it several times, first in proximity of the Wander show (and a year of Wander in the most unassuming of ways) and most recently in Episode 419: Random. The way she uses thumbnails to document the changing seasons in her local space is definitely something to think about. Do you have a window scene that you take for granted? Would you notice if the scene changed? Have you sketched that view? Have you sketched it on different days or at different times of day?

Sketchnotes and Nature Journaling

The podcast mentioned in this episode is Mike Rohde’s Sketchbook Army, and the interview with John Muir Laws is Season 9, Episode 3. This is a wonderful interview, and I jotted down many great quotes and inspiring bits of wisdom about using drawing and nature journaling to slow down, look closer, and notice things we haven’t noticed before. There was a thread of the mysterious, the infinite, the magical, and the unknown in this show, and I was really excited by listening. (This is an episode to sketchnote, for sure!)

If you are a nature journaler, then you are surely familiar with John Muir Laws already. If not, then definitely check out his videos or books like:

        

Randoms

  1. I’ve been drawing in dip pen for the 100 Day Project and have been experimenting most recently with using colored fountain pen inks for portraits. This recent mix shows several different inks in play.
  2. I am on book 2 of The Farseer Trilogy (so book 2 of 16 for the whole Elderlings series). I am really hooked so far.
  3. We are watching “The Mentalist,” and it is currently my favorite show ever. I love Patrick Jane’s character so much.
  4. Notion has become a big part of my day. My “on camera” skills are not great, but when it comes to tracking daily creativity, I think Notion is a fantastic tool.
  5. We are now in week 12 of #illustrateyourweek for 2021. (I’ve been posting prompts now since last summer.)
  6. For Women’s History Month, I drew portraits of various women in my weekly illustrated journal, including Sylvia Plath, Mary Oliver, Annie Dilliard, Annie Liebovitz, and Ozlem Tureci.

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Note: links provided to books, tools, and other resources on the Creativity Matters Podcast website may be affiliate links for which the podcast would make a (very) small amount of money if the item was purchased. The Creativity Matters Podcast is an Amazon.com affiliate. Links are provided for convenience to help you find/see/explore the books, tools, and resources I talk about. Using the library, when possible, is always my first recommendation for reviewing books firsthand.