Prompted by Nature

I'm thrilled to announce that Prompted by Nature has been shortlisted in the podcast category for a Bookshop.org Indie Champion Award. This was completely unexpected and I immediately felt sick when I got the initial email a couple of weeks ago! I wanted to record a quick episode to share this news, and a little about my writing sabbatical, with you. Thank you for listening and supporting this podcast. I'm so happy you're here; I'll be back soon (and remember you can always find me on Substack www.promptedbynature.substack.com , on Instagram @prompted.by.nature and my bookshop.org shop is here: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/promptedbynature ) And of course a HUGE thank you Bookshop.org for recognising the podcast and for having it on your shortlist - it means everyhing to me. Sending you lots of love, Helen x

Hello, welcome to series 6, episode 5 of the Prompted by Nature podcast.  I’m your host, Helen, and this is the final episode for some time.  I’ve made the difficult decision to put the podcast on ‘indefinite sabbatical’ so that I can be more present and consistent with my writing.  I have a short solo episode coming up to talk about it but you can get all the updates on my Substack newsletter.  Just search ‘Prompted by Nature’ on the app or website. Onto today’s episode.  Today, I’m speaking with Lucy Power from Rowanbank Environmental Arts & Education.  This is a conversation we actually had before the summer and with summer holidays taking me away from anything other than my kids it fell by the wayside a little.  I’m so happy to be releasing it now though as it’s full of hope and creativity. Lucy is the director of Rowanbank.  Rowanbank Environmental Arts & Education CIC is a social enterprise, combining science with the arts to bring people together to enjoy and learn how to better care for their environment.  They engage people in an imaginative and inclusive way, helping them to connect with and experience the magic of nature. Lucy is a Climate Ambassador with Climate Outreach, and has been awarded a Churchill Fellowship in creative climate communication and education. Lucy is a qualified Forest School Leader and an EcoHomes and BREEAM Assessor. Lucy is also an aerial performer and teacher for All or Nothing Aerial Dance Theatre and Dance Base, Scotland’s national centre for dance.  Lucy has worked successfully with schools, community organisations, government agencies and the private sector. In this conversation we discuss: What Rowanbank is and how it came about How Rowanbank merges art and science to make environmental education more accessible and exciting The Natural Flights of Steps and the part it plays in Rowanbank The importance of carbon literacy and finding a variety of ways to teach this Rowanbank’s commitment to sustainable transport Rowanbank’s collaborative approach to creating stories Sustainable costume design The advice she would give to her younger self What she has coming up that she’s looking forward to You can find Lucy on her website www.rowanbank.org.uk and social media @rowanbank_environmental_arts Episodes that would go really well with this one are: 1.13a Dawn Nelson, Rewilding the Self through Storytelling 5.6a Angeline Morrison, Folk Music as Storytelling 5,10a Moya Lloyd, Building a Creative Community at the Boundary Way Project As always I’m on Instagram @prompted.by.nature, on my website www.promptedbynature.co.uk and on Substack, where you can become a free or paid subscriber - Prompted by Nature. I’ll be back soon with the writing prompt that accompanies this episode.  Sending you lots of love.  Happy listening and I’ll speak to you soon.  Bye!

Hello!  Welcome series 6 episode 4 of the Prompted by Nature podcast.  I’m Helen, your host and today I’m thrilled to release a conversation I had earlier this week With Marchelle Farrell.  Long-time listeners of the podcast will remember Marchelle from series 2 episode 10 - a conversation we recorded what feels like a lifetime ago, in November 2020. Marchelle has a new book out, Uprooting, and it was wonderful to chat up with Marchelle and talk all things gardens and writing. In this episode, we discuss: What Marchelle has been up for over the past two years Her new book, Uprooting, what’s about and how it came to be The reciprocal nature of the garden Redefining difficult conversations The importance of grief and mourning Non-verbal communication and writing The creative advice she’d give her younger self What she’s looking forward to Uprooting has already won an award in the shape of the Nan Shepherd prize for underrepresented voices in nature writing.  I urge you to read this book - it is profound and complex and explores Marchelle’s relationship with her garden as well as how these brings up connections to her beloved Trinidad. Uprooting is out now in your local bookshop or library - and remember that you can always ask them to order it in if they don’t already stock it.  Marchelle is usually to be found on Instagram under the handle @afroliage and on her website www.marchellefarrell.com where you can find upcoming dates of her book tour and speaking events. Just a little note that the connection was a little sketchy at times but I don’t think it affects meaning. Episodes that would go well with this one: 2.10a - My Garden, My Teacher - Marchelle Farrell 6.1a - All My Wild Mothers - Victoria Bennett 5.9a Writing in Place - Kathryn Aalto As always, I’m on instagram @prompted.by.nature or on the website www.promptedbynature.co.uk .  You can also sign up for my Substack on www.promptedbynature.substack.com Sending you lots of love.  Happy listening, and I’ll speak to you soon.

Hello and welcome to your writing prompt for my conversation with Katie Holten.  For this one there are a couple of invitations. The first is to, of course, download Katie’s tree alphabet as a font to your computer and have a play.  It’s really fun turning your words into a forest and seeing that forest come alive on the page. You could write something new, inspired by the letters as trees, or translate an existing piece into the tree alphabet. www.treealphabet.ie   The second invitation is to put the title of this episode on a sheet of paper and see where it takes you.  The title is ‘I write with the trees.’  I love this title because it could go in any and all directions.  for me, it conjures up images of future communities and societies in which humans dream things into being in collaboration with the trees and the more-than-human world. It might be that, having listened to the conversation, or even read the book, you have been inspired to created something totally different from these suggestions, in which case, go for it! Have fun with it and let me know how you get on if you use this one! Happy writing!  Bye!

Welcome to series 6, episode 3 of the Prompted by Nature podcast.  I’m Helen and I’m really happy to be back with this conversation with Katie Holten.  As I mentioned previously, because art and nature are so inextricably linked for me, this week’s action point, should you wish to get involved, is on the episode page for this conversation over on the website. This week we’ll be hearing from the very wonderful Katie Holten.  Katie Holten is an artist and activist based in New York City and Ardee, Ireland.    For over twenty years Katie has made unconventional works that intersect art, activism, ecology, language and history. At the root of her practice is a commitment to fighting the climate and biodiversity emergency. Her collaborative research-based work explores the inextricable relationship between Humans and Nature, between organic systems and human-made systems.  Several years ago, recognizing a looming crisis of representation as our species adapts to life in the Anthropocene, Holten created a Tree Alphabet and published the book ABOUT TREES, offering readers a language beyond the Human.  During lockdown, Holten made an Irish Tree Alphabet (2020) to explore language ecosystems and the importance of our words and the stories that we share.   In this conversation we discuss: Her new book, the Language of trees, how it came about and Katie’s process in putting it all together Katie’s NYC Tree Alphabet and its wider implications The magic of the Irish Tree Ogham Art as facilitation of ideas The book as a merging of science, poetry, journalism and music Art as activism The impact that her upbringing in Ireland has had on her work The importance of community spaces in environmental activism The creative advice she would give to her younger self and what she’s looking forward to I love how far-reaching art and creativity can be when it comes to communicating about the urgency of climate collapse and climate justice as well as how connected we all are in order to inspire people to get involved in whatever way they can. The Language of Trees is a stunning book filled with the words of some incredible writers from all genres and the beautiful artwork created by Katie’s tree alphabet.  It’s out now and you can get it at your favourite independent bookshop.  I’ve also popped in the Prompted by Nature bookshop over on https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/promptedbynature . You can download the font here: http://www.nyctrees.org/ Episodes that would go well with this episode: 5.2a Amy-Jane Beer: The Flow 5.1a Bryony Benge-Abbott:  Exploring the Intersections 4.13a Jackee Holder: Writing with Trees in the Urban Landscape 3.7a Rosalind Lowry: Land Art: Celebrating our Boglands You can find me in the usual places - on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and on the website www.promptedbynature.co.uk  You can subscribe to my Substack newsletter over on Substack by going to https://promptedbynature.substack.com/  Thank you to my paid subscribers who help support this podcast and get lots of treats like the e-zine and write-along bonus episodes.  Please do consider becoming a paid subscriber if you are able to. I’ll be back in a few days with the writing prompt that accompanies this episode but in the meantime I’m sending you lots of love.  Happy listening and I’ll speak to you soon! x

In my conversation with Katherine, she spoke about creativity as a form of resistance.  This is something that really resonates with me as it kind of underpins everything I do.  When we stay present and connected, think creatively and allow this to guide us through the world, we are actively shaping the world we want to see; not just that but we become active participants in our own individual lives, which then feeds into a stronger, more rounded and imaginative collective.   Often it can feel as if being creative doesn’t contribute in any tangible ways but we only need to look at groups like Writers Rebel, Cape Farewell, Julie’s Bicycle and Human Nature (all links in the show notes) so see that creative, artistic practice can feed into the move to a better future.  Art invites us to think about topics or ideas in new and interesting ways, challenging our pre-conceptions and unconscious biases. For this prompt, create something that explores the idea of creativity as resistance in your own work.  The first thing that comes to mind when I consider this is the word resistance and how, by just forming that word in my mind, I feel a resistance.  It evokes thoughts of anger and oppression in me, and makes me think of all the times someone has told me I couldn’t or shouldn’t do something I knew was the right thing to do, even if it wasn’t the most comfortable at the time  - or the times when I’v told myself I couldn’t do something because of imposter syndrome or not feeling good/capable/knowledgeable (fill in the blank!) enough.  Conversely though it makes me feel like what I’m doing means something; it makes me feel powerful and strong.  I am actively resisting the things I know are not right and am trying, in whatever small way I can, to make a difference.  There are so many nuances to the word ‘resistance’ and working with it as a starting point is something you might consider doing.   What about asking what it is you are resisting?  Explore this idea to its limits and then begin.  Perhaps go through the same process with the word creativity.  Then put the two together and see what emerges. Most of all, if you are a creative - and I imagine that you are if you’re listening to this podcast - please keep going with your creative work, whatever form that takes.  The more of us who are sharing our experience of the more-than-human world as a response to biodiversity and climate collapse, the more we inspire others to do the same.  Art as a form of expression and protest is by no means a new thing and we can all be a part of what nurtures that into the future. Please do let me know if you use this one - even if just to share one word on my Substack or in a story, which you can tag me in on Instagram @prompted.by.nature or you can mention me in a note over on Substack if you’re a user, and I’ll restack your note. Thank you as always for listening.  Happy writing and I’ll speak to you soon.  Bye!

Welcome to series 6, episode 2 of the Prompted by Nature.  I’m Helen and I hope this finds you well.  Lots going on on this side of things but I’m going to jump straight into today’s episode. If you enjoy non-fiction at the moment today you may have heard of today’s guest, Katherine May. Katherine is an internationally bestselling author and podcaster living in Whitstable, UK. Her most recent book, Enchantment became an instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. Her internationally bestselling hybrid memoir Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times was adapted as BBC Radio 4’s Book of the Week, and was shortlisted for the Porchlight and Barnes and Noble Book of the Year. The Electricity of Every Living Thing, her memoir of a midlife autism diagnosis, was adapted as an audio drama by Audible. Other titles include novels such as The Whitstable High Tide Swimming Club, and The Best, Most Awful Job, an anthology of essays about motherhood which she edited. Her journalism and essays have appeared in a range of publications including The New York Times, The Observer and Aeon. Katherine’s podcast, How We Live Now, ranks in the top 1% worldwide, and she has been a guest presenter for On Being’s The Future of Hope series. Her next book, Enchantment, will be published in 2023. Katherine lives with her husband, son, two cats and a dog. She loves walking, sea-swimming and pickling slightly unappealing things. In this conversation we discuss: The weather! The importance of hope and magic The process of writing Enchantment Creativity as resistance AI and creativity in education Forms & lineages of creativity Mutation over survival of the fittest The process of ‘unknowing’ in her work Researching Enchantment The advice she’d give to her 15-year old self What she’s looking forward to You can find Kathrine’s Substack newsletter and podcast over at https://katherinemay.substack.com/ - I highly recommend subscribing to this as it’s completely wonderful.  You can find all of her books at your local bookshop or library (and if they don’t have the one you’re after, ask them order it in) and I’ve also popped Enchantment in the ‘Discussed on the Podcast’ section of my bookshop over at www.bookshop.org  Epsiodes that I think would go well with this one are: 1.10a Finding Magic in the Landscape, Jini Reddy 2.6a Art as Play, Beba Beeby 4.12a Soraya Abdel-Hadi, Finding my Creative Voice through Nature 5.11a Creating a Folklore of Place with Elin Manon As always, you can find me on the website www.promptedbynature.co.uk where you can find prompts, the pod and information about my upcoming woodland day retreat here in Sussex.  I’m also on Substack https://promptedbynature.substack.com or you can find me on Instagram @prompted.by.nature or Facebook and Twitter by searching Prompted by Nature.  Please do share, rate and review the podcast wherever you’re listening as this means the WORLD to me!!  And do tag me on social media if you’ve enjoyed this or any other episode. I’ll be back in a few days with the writing prompt that accompanies this episode but in the meantime I’ll send you lots of love.  Happy listening and I’ll speak to you soon!

Welcome to your writing prompt for my conversation with Victoria Bennett. Writing prompt, some news and an apology for this episodes tardiness! Thank you for your patience. <3 * When I listened back to the episode with Victoria, what I remember most is her thoughts around the use of time in writing a memoir.  She describes the process as engaging three forms of time:  deep time, long time and momentary time.  ‘I think that that combination of deep time in the Earth and long time in our sense of humanity and momentary time, all exist together, so in memoir writing, memories from my early childhood would sit alongside memories as a mother - with my son - so experiences of present moments and then memories of my mother are in there, and then her memories of her childhood.  And so all these memories would kind of interweave with each other and speak to each other.  But looking back into memories was a bit like that, finding these pottery shards in a garden because I would start and I would look back and think, ‘that's a terrible memory’, and then it's like, ‘that's a wonderful bit of pottery!’  So I'd find these moments that would be as alive and as present as the one I was in, and their stories that they had would be as present and and as revealing.  I suppose if I'd written it all off as being terrible I wouldn't have bothered…’ The invitation here then, is to create three pieces: one that engages with deep time, one with long time and one with momentary time.  These could take the form of journal entries, be three pieces of free writing, poems on the themes or something completely different.  This is the sort of thing I like to write about in my morning pages as I find that in that liminal spaces between night and day,  I’m the most alert to more abstract concepts such as time. Enjoy this one and let me know how you get on if you use it. Happy writing! Helen x https://promptedbynature.substack.com www.promptedbynature.co.uk @prompted.by.nature

Hello and welcome to series 6 of the Prompted by Nature podcast!  Happy Beltane if you’re listening in real time and are celebrating!  I’m Helen and I’m thrilled to be back after a little break.  Not much has changed - read a few books, had some time out in Glastonbury, released this season’s newsletter over on Substack - get subscribed if you’re not already! - and generally had time to write and to get back to my own voice. The action point for each episode will now be up on each episode’s page on the website.  Today’s episode is the perfect conversation to open with.  It’s slightly longer than usual as we covered so much ground.  We had to re-schedule it a few times due to covid and ended up speaking on the libra full moon - perfect for two chatty libras! Victoria Bennet lives in Orkney with her husband and son, for whom she is also a full-time carer and home-educator.  She is a writer, poet and creative producer, who founded Wild Women Press in 1999 and has spent the last 21 years facilitating creative experiences and curating platforms for women to share ideas, stories, inspirations and actions for positive change.  Victoria has a wealth of creative experience and I encourage you to explore her website for all the information. Victoria’s debut memoir, which we discuss in the episode, All My Wild Mothers, examines motherhood, loss, and the ancient art of wort-cunning (knowledge of medicinal plans and herbs) was long-listed for the Nan Shepherd Prize (2019) and the Penguin WriteNow Programme (2020) as well as winner of the Northern Debut Award. When she is not juggling home-ed, freelance creative projects, research, study and chronic illness, she can be found howling with the Wild Women, her creative tribe.  In this conversation, we discuss: What took her to Orkney The process of writing All My Wild Mothers The symbiosis of writing and gardening  Creativity and ecology The impact of her upbringing on her interactions with nature The structure of the book Choosing presence in both grief and joy Combining deep time, long time and momentary time in the writing process Re-finding creativity after loss Writing and memory Wild Women Press and prioritising creative projects And, two new questions for everyone: The advice Victoria would give to her younger self What she’s looking forward to You can find Victoria on Twitter and Instagram @beewlyd and on her website www.victoriabennett.me I’ve also popped the video created for the book using music inspired by it on the episode page on my website.  You can find All My Wild Mothers via any independent bookshop or you can order it from the library.  It’s also available on my Prompted by Nature bookshop.  And if you’re in a book club, I highly recommend taking Victoria up on her offer of coming along to any online meet-up to talk about the book. No change with me, I’m on @prompted.by.nature on Instagram, @promptedbynature on Facebook and @promptedxnature on Twitter plus you can subscribe to my Substack newsletter, read the latest on the blog and find out about upcoming events via my website www.promptedbynature.co.uk Remember to pop back on Tuesday for the writing episode that follows this one. Happy listening and I’ll speak to you soon.  Bye!

Welcome to your writing prompt for my conversation with LiLi K Bright and the final epsiode of series 5.  This one isn't so much of a writing prompt specifically as it is an invitation to do something different in your creative practice (as the title suggests!).  LiLi talked about the inspiration they gain from attending ecology and naturalist talks and events as well as joining writers hours and social events.  I was hugely inspired by this as something of which I don’t do nearly enough is attending events and courses which will shift my focus in unexpected ways and help me to engage with like-minded folk.   Since my chat with LiLi, I’ve signed up for some free and paid events in the coming months that I hope will both inform and enrich my writing, providing different perspectives - both scientific and artistic - that will allow me to go deeper into my understanding of the mechanisms of nature and where they intersect with a range of diverse creative forms.  I think when you’ve been teaching and creating and holding space for people for as long as I have, it’s really easy to become quite isolated.  This hasn’t been intentional but I’ve always been very ‘do it myself’ even when I don’t have to be; sometimes this can be a good thing and sometimes it can work out to my detriment.   So for you then, think about how you might want to diversify and expand your creative practice, or gain insights into areas you’ve always wondered about.  There are lots of free and low cost events out there now as well as paid for courses.  I’ve popped a couple of resources below and on the episode page of the website if you want to have an explore. So that’s it for series 5!  I told myself I’d stop for this series after 13 episodes and I think you’ll agree, we’ve ended on a high!  I’ll be back in a few short weeks after I’ve had a bit of a break to tend to my writing and facilitating.  If you’re interested in attending any of my future events - online or in-person - just pop through to the events page on my website www.promptedbynature.co.uk  Otherwise you can always find me on my Substack (where I’ve been really enjoying posting my weekly prompts and getting to know a few of you a bit better!) promptedbynature.substack.com and Instagram @prompted.by.nature.  All links can be found in the show notes and on the episode page on the website. In the meantime, please do reach out if you have any insights from any of these episodes and conversations or if you use any of the prompts and want to share how it went.   Happy writing, happy creating and I’ll speak to you very soon.  Helen x Free course platforms: https://www.mooc.org/ https://www.edx.org/ https://www.conservationtraining.org/ https://www.open.edu/openlearn/nature-environment/free-courses Also look into your local conservation charity if you're looking for nature-related courses. Sussex Wildlife Trust near me, for example, often runs tree and wildlife ID courses.