In his book, “Last Child in the Woods,” Richard Louv makes a remarkable observation. He believes that children must interact with nature in order to embrace the notion of mystery. In his opinion, mystery is a fundamental quality of human development that cannot be ignored. Encountering the natural world opens up the child to the concept of mystery. They are thrust into a space where they must become the architects of their own experience.
There are no rules to how to engage with the natural world. Everything is open to the process of discovery. Mystery is an open-hearted way in which to approach the world. It cannot be found in codified commercial enterprises, such as Pokémon. No matter how vast the scope of such a game, there is always an imposed structure that determines how to interact with it. Nature allows the child to become a creator in the truest sense of the word.
Robert MacFarlane pushed this concept further in his article for the Guardian. He commented upon the importance of naming the wild world. The process of naming different elements of nature – a bird, an old tree near the path, the path itself — invites the child into a relationship with the mystery of the wilderness. MacFarlane credits the children’s book author Susan Cooper with pointing out this primordial need in her “The Dark is Rising” series. The young protagonist must conjure up names for the features of the woods surrounding his house to unlock the deeper meaning of the natural world. This series of books prompts a child’s engagement with nature, unlike the world of Hogwarts, which exists entirely outside the realm of the natural. But maybe Hogwarts feels safer that way. It isn’t real, so it doesn’t challenge a young reader in the same way as Cooper’s series does.
For the artist, the creative pursuit invites mystery into their life. We start with the germ of an idea. To see it to fruition, we must embrace the mysterious. The artist must open up to the call of the work, for they realize that they are not entirely in control of the process. There is something greater out in the ether nudging the creative endeavor along. If you are feeling stuck with your work, get out in nature and discover an unexplored path, one that invites mystery into your life. Begin to encourage a dialogue with the natural world.
