Review: Writing Wild by Tina Welling
The subtitle of this book is “Forming a Creative Partnership with Nature” and that is what made me pull it off the shelf in the bookshop. I believe strongly that people are at their best when they are aware of their connection with the natural world, and act in harmony with the natural processes that keep us alive. By inference, I believe they are at their worst when they are disconnected from nature. I’m thinking of the decisions made in sterile steel and glass boardrooms and in the crumbling stone monstrosity that is the Houses of Parliament. So Welling’s book grabbed my attention right from the moment I read the cover.
With the book in my hand, I read the introduction. She writes movingly of an encounter with a tree on a summer walk. A spider’s web had been created on the tree and for a brief moment the web was illuminated by a ray of sunlight. The web became a galaxy of light that moved her to tears with its beauty. Her mind experienced a “gracious leap” and she became convinced of the connection between the earth’s creative energy and her personal creative energy. She realised that her ability to create relied on her relationship with the earth and the energy of nature.
Realising where your creativity comes from is a profound moment. The joy of this discovery is evident in the book. It sets out her approach to creativity, how she engages the energy of nature and discusses the implications.
Welling’s approach is based on a simple method of engaging with the world. Describe — Name — Interact. Go out into the world. What do you see, hear, taste, smell and touch? Not just the big obvious things. Be still in a place of your choosing and try to absorb all that is happening around you through all your senses. Then name what you experience. What colour has grabbed your attention? What bird is singing? Then interact, handle that smooth stone, trace the pattern of the tree bark, smell the piece of burned wood. Bring the world and its energy into you.
Welling lives just outside Grand Tetons National Park in the US state of Wyoming. Moose invade her garden. Employing this method of gaining inspiration must be a pleasure in itself. But she is clear that even if you only have access to a scrappy urban park or your own garden, it’s always possible to go deeper and wider in your understanding of your place. Try it. Find a place from which to observe. What can you see? Look for small things if there are no big things. What are those sounds? How many birds are calling? What are they? What does an acorn look like up close?
This approach is powerful, the senses open up. So much floods in, aspects of the world out there that you have forgotten or never noticed. This increased bandwidth opens up the observer to new experiences from which inspiration flows. It turns on the taps. The energy flows.
Welling is a writer, she has published several novels and many essays. So this book is primarily about how a connection to nature empowers the writer. But not exclusively. Many creatives write to guide their practice. Many creatives write about their practice. Writing is not simply for writers. More fundamentally, this book is about discovering a more authentic, capable self. It’s about breaking free from the old bonds and finding the energy for a personal transformation. That has relevance for all of us.
On page 172, Welling says “We are building something here: a deeply aware life”. If you are a creative person, surely a deeply aware life is one that will maximise your creative practice. A deeply aware life is likely to be a life well lived, no matter what you do.
If you love nature and are on a journey to a better life, this book has much to offer you. The central thesis is strong. It is beautifully written, draws in many sources and has passages of powerful prose. I was particularly moved by Welling’s account of how she decided to fulfil her longing to become a writer, come what may, and how she had to navigate the changes this imposed on her family. This was a difficult time and it is recounted tenderly, with both love and determination.
Reconnecting with nature is a timely theme. Many people are realising that a life that excludes nature is rootless and disoriented. Yet that is exactly what the fast pace of contemporary life demands. Long working hours, consumerism, relentless attention-seeking of devices leave little space for a connection with nature, with reality. But that is all bogus, other people’s agendas and demands. Returning to who we really are as human beings and finding our true strengths requires us to reassess our lives in a radical way. Welling had this revelation and takes us through her journey, sharing the steps she took.
Writing Wild is written with love and sensitivity. It is about making great changes in your life and how to handle those changes. Forming a creative partnership with nature is a switch to clean energy for your life. That’s powerful stuff.
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