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.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.