Learning Lab Consulting

Mindful Creativity Step One: Notice Things

“I now know that I don’t know what any particular tree will look like without first seeing it, and even then it is likely to be more than I see.”

-Ellen Langer, Mindful Creativity

A few weeks ago, I went camping with my kids and husband.  Previously, I have been reluctant to engage in such endeavors because:

• I loathe and fear mosquitoes
• I am a little weird about how I sleep (fan must be on, three pillows must be available and placed in specific places, must have something to cover my face while I sleep etc.)
• It has given me a bad case of my own version of FOMO (fear of missing out) which I shall call FOBU (fear of being unnecessarily uncomfortable);

This last fear is not unwarranted.  On one of the few experiences I have of camping with my husband and oldest son, we decided to camp on the beach.  Idealization of this included romantic beachside campfires at night, stumbling out of the tent into the water by day.  Reality of this: immediate sunburn followed by no shade available ever, massive swarms of aggressive insects in the single available restroom, sand everywhere…everywhere…  all the time.

However, over the last year I have come to appreciate and crave my time in nature, and I wanted the opportunity to share this time with my family, to stretch our range of experiences, to revel in the natural silences of outdoor spaces. For all of these reasons, I got over my hang ups and decided to go camping.

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