Prompted by Nature

In this writing prompt, we focus on woods and trees and I offer some ideas for incorporating these into your writing.   The episodes I refer to are: 'Speaking with the Trees' series 1, episode 7 - Nana Tomova 'Quiet Enough for Nature' series 2, episode 5 - Nick Hayes I've also popped the image I talk about over on my website, which you can find at https://www.promptedbynature.co.uk/series-fou...

This episode’s action point - https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/support-us/act/ Today I have the pleasure of chatting with Forester, Woodland Surveyor, Writer and Photographer, Cheryl Duerden Originally from Singapore and a graduate in media and mass communication, Cheryl started out in professional photography and journalism in 2002, travelling around the world on assignments. A chance opportunity...

As I mentioned in the episode (listen below or on your favoured podcast platform), the images I wanted to add to this prompt are too many to fit under the main episode post so I’ve created a whole new one over on my website ( https://www.promptedbynature.co.uk/series-four/44b-creative-prompt-for-lydia-needle ) In this prompt, you can listen to Miriam Sheppard talk about her piece ‘The Imperfect Pe...

In this episode I speak with Lydia Needle.  Lydia is an ecological artist working in Somerset.  In her work, Lydia contemplates what we bring to the planet and our communities - what we can add, what we support.  She also examines waste, erosion, weathering and what we leave behind. Lydia is the Lead Artist and Curator of the ongoing collaborative creative project called ‘FIFTY BEES...

In this writing prompt, I invite you to explore your local area for plants that you can forage.  Go for a walk and look for plants like dandelion, nettle, cleavers, cow parsley, wild garlic - whatever is in season - and use these to create something you can eat or use in some way, such as healing balms, tinctures, infusions, soups, salads, teas...the list goes on...and then write about your e...

My guest today is the wonderful Ebony Gheorghe. Ebony is a trained Geoscientist, currently working also as a Lab technician. She is the owner of Nettles and Bees, a small business focused on wildcrafting. plants/herbalism, reconnecting with nature and foraging. Ebony’s aim and passion is to bring those forward and merge them together through different products and projects. Ebony’s studio makes an...

In this writing prompt, Rebecca kindly reads from an extract of her novel 'Earthed.'  Once you have listened to the extract, practise weaving two places together seamlessly.  Much of what Earthed teaches me personally is the intertwining of stories and how, though a place may not be the one in which I am rooted, it is one in which I can find myself through my imagination and which can en...

Action suggestion for this week:  follow Stop Cambo.  Go to www.stopcambo.org.uk to find out what they do or you can follow them on @stopcambo on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. ------------------------- Rebecca Schiller is a writer, journalist and the author of Your No Guilt Pregnancy Plan and Why Human Rights in Childbirth Matter. She is co-founder and trustee of the human rights char...

The first episode of series four and I’m back after almost a year away!  Really excited to be here again and getting reacquainted with you all.  I have missed the podcast so much but was in dire need of some creative respite. I hope you enjoy this short bridging episode in which I get you all caught up on what I’ve been doing over the past 11 months and let you in on what’s to come in se...

Hello! Welcome to Prompted by Nature series three episode seven. How have you been? I hope things are going well for you right now. This week I’m speaking with the wonderful Chloe Valeria Harmsworth, a nature writer and illustrator from St. Albans, Hertfordshire. Chloe uses her work to encourage others to engage in the natural world in a variety of ways and has been published in print magazines su...

Hello and welcome to series three, episode seven of the podcast. I’m so happy to introduce to you today’s guest, the incredibly talented land artist, Rosalind Lowry. Rosalind Lowry is an award winning artist born in Northern Ireland who attended Chelsea College of Art and Central St. Martins before returning to her native land to set up her studio. Her practice is based on environmental themes and...

Hello and welcome to series 3 episode 6 of Prompted by Nature. I hope this one finds you well. so we are finally emerging slowly from our third period of lockdown here in the UK and I’m thrilled that my in-person events are starting up again. If you are local to Brighton and Hove or Sussex, my forest-based creativity day retreat at back at the wonderful Wilderness Woods and I now have new monthly...

In this writing prompt, I talk you through a creative writing exercise I use in my creative writing sessions that I created inspired by Grayson Perry.  In his Art Club programme a few weeks ago, he described his process for creating a piece centred around a red Fox as being 'making each mark a reaction to the previous one.' How to do the activity: You are given a line, in this case our line i...

Hello and welcome to series three, episode five of Prompted by Nature. I noticed recently that I’ve had a few more listeners to the podcast so I thought I’d just say a quick hello and give thanks to the countries we now have tuning in each week. I’m Helen, nice to meet you! And hello to listeners in the following places (run through list). Even if you’ve only listened in once and never again, than...

In this meditation and writing prompt, we begin with a simple breathing exercise to bring the awareness to the breath and the body in order to help you move into the creative mind.  Inspired by Grace's words on the importance of repairing, reusing and repurposing over recycling, I then discuss the idea of repurposing, repairing or restarting a creative piece or idea that you may have put down...

Hello! Welcome to series 3 episode 4 our Prompted by Nature. Spring is now officially springing and the sun has returned…kind of, although it’s still a little chilly, not quite t-shirt weather yet! In today’s episode, I’m so excited to share with you the conversation I had with Grace of Green Soul Grace last week. Grace Hull is an environmental educator who created Green Soul Grace, a personal blo...

A little glass of water (I don't like coffee :-D ) and a catch-up!  An impromptu solo episode in which I speak about: how things have been going with the Benfield Valley Project The South Coast 100k challenge in aid of the Sussex Wildlife Trust my new Patreon offering  and offer you three questions about your own creative practice Enjoy! Helen x www.prompedbynature.co.uk www.patreon.com/...

In this meditation and writing prompt, I read through Stella's poem 'Inner Space' from the 'Whispers from the Elements' section of her most recent book 'Whispers from Mother Earth' (available from her website www.stellatomlinson.com ). I then talk you through some of my own ideas for where you could take the poem and use it as a prompt for your own words and creativity. Please feel free to share y...

Hello! Welcome to series 3 episode 2 of Prompted by Nature, thank you so much for being here! Lots has been going on on this side of things. The Benfield Valley Project, which I set up last year, is about to become a constituted community group - whoop! - I’ve got started on issue one of my upcoming seasonal e-zine, which I’m really excited about and my newsletter subscribers will know that I’ve d...

As always, if at any point in the meditation you feel that your mind is running away from you or your thoughts are taking over and you can't come back to it by focusing on the breath and letting those thoughts pass, just stop and come back another time. <3  In this meditation, I talk you through a visualisation inspired by Rebecca's own practice.  The writing prompt is based on whatev...

Hello! Welcome to episode one series THREE! of Prompted by Nature. It’s so lovely to be back and speaking with some amazing people who I know you will love. A few updates from me before we start. Things have been busy on this side of things as Benfield Valley Project becomes an official CCG (regular listeners will know this story but you can catch up with the goings-on with this in most of my solo...

Hello lovely!  I wanted to take a little opportunity to say hi and see how you are.  In this episode I talk mainly about the ways I've been keeping myself connected to my creativity and to nature in this time of disarray.  I hope my suggestions help. <3 Remember you can always find me over on Instagram @prompted.by.nature or on the website www.promptedbynature.co.uk where you can...

Welcome to this meditation and writing prompt inspired by my conversation with Lucy Groves of the White Stork Project. This prompt is a little different to what we usually do. I’ll be talking you through the prompt and then we’ll have the pleasure of listening to a White Stork greeting ceremony for a few of minutes to help get your centred and inspired to create a piece of work based on whatever c...

Hello lovely you! Welcome to series 2 episode 12 of Prompted by Nature. How are you this week? This week’s episode is my final conversation episode of 2020 although next week the tables will be turned when my amazing friend Priya Shah will be interviewing me, which should be interesting, as she’ll be asking me the questions that I usually ask my guests! I hope you’ll join us for that! But onto thi...

Hello!  Welcome to this meditation and writing prompt for my interview with Anita Bagdi.  In this episode, I speak about my own eco-anxiety and strategies that help me to manage and soothe it.  There are a few prompt questions (below) and I direct you to some meditations that help me over on the website. Prompt Questions: What is your definition of Eco-Anxiety? What triggers it spec...