Enchanting birdsong. Squirrels, monkeys or koalas in the trees. Sparkling snowflakes. Reflections on the water. The fluid motion of an octopus. Rising fog. A sudden sun after climbing through the clouds…

No matter where we are or what time of year it is, nature delights and surprises us if we just keep our senses open.

Imagine hustle, pressure for productivity and performance, various digital platforms, all the advice, projects, meetings, news, noise, racing thoughts, obligations… 

Then imagine peace. A restful, smiling mind. The sun on your skin. The scent of trees. The snow-capped mountains and the shimmering sea. A fresh, light breeze. No rush. Deep breaths…

Outdoors, without man-made stimuli and chatter, we get to disconnect from everything and reconnect with the natural environment. We can also take a healthy break from ourselves by shifting our focus. In nature, solitude and silence become restorative and there’s more room to move, both physically and mentally. It’s easier to relax and just be.

A glimpse of the moment when, after a long hike, you sit down to rest and soak in the beautiful surroundings… What we look like, how we feel, what we think, or what our possessions or roles are, do not matter to nature.

In nature, I can shift my perspective beyond myself and be reminded that I am not the center of this world, but a part of it. Like all of us. We are kind of nothing and we are kind of everything. Life goes on without us and that’s somehow comforting.

From the tiniest details to the vast landscapes, nature is an endless source of inspiration. It influences in the background or pops directly into works.  I’ve made art of (for example) birds, mammals, mushrooms, flowers, tree trunks, cones, clouds, mountains, seas and lakes. Each work has increased my knowledge and appreciation of the subject. 

Another way I get closer to nature’s awesomeness is photography. It helps me observe the environment and notice the beauty and peculiarities. 

I believe that through our own nature experiences, our desire to promote the environment grows.

Statements such as ”Country X has the most beautiful nature in the world” are opinions, not facts. There is wonderful nature all over our planet (at least where humans have not destroyed it).

I’ve loved and been lucky to live and visit amazing environments on different continents. Rainforests, beaches, canyons, savannahs, fells, archipelago, mountains, fjords… To dive into freezing lakes and warm oceans and witness a variety of wild animals and plants. This has made me appreciate nature even more deeply and comprehensively.

Nature should be preserved everywhere. We can start for example by planting one pollinator-friendly plant on the balcony. 

Feeling the soft moss under your feet, hearing the blackbird singing, touching the crystal clear water, smelling the pine resin, tasting the sea salt in the air, seeing the fine patterns of a leaf, watching a bright, lively butterfly…

Besides the bodily sensations, some of us also sense something inexplicable and mystical in nature. Like a connection. Is this dimension always in nature or does it appear for us, to reflect our own desires, fears and imagination? 

Norwegian painter Edvard Munch described it: ”Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye… it also includes the inner pictures of the soul.”

Or maybe this invisible dimension is a joint operation of both people and nature. Either way, we humans have taken from nature for so long — what are we finally going to give back?