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October is calling us outside
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Happy October, Reader! Fair warning: lots of links in this one. 😂 Between Drawtober, this weekend’s free event, and a few upcoming Forest Bathing dates, there’s a lot I want to make sure you don’t miss. If you're just here for the Nature Connection Invitation - feel free to scroll to the bottom! One of the things I love most about this time of year is how much my creativity starts waking back up. I feel like I'm very focused on physical activity and movement in the spring and summer and notice about this time of year I start craving more time with my journals and sketch books. Do you notice something about yourself that shifts this time of year Reader? I’ve been doing Drawtober every October for more than 15 years, and no, I am not remotely an artist. I just really love having an excuse to buy a new notebook, pull out my fountain pens and inks, fancy colored pencils and markers, and spend a little more time making things and paying attention to the season. Last year I wrote about 6 simple ways I was slowing down time in autumn, and rereading it this week reminded me how much creativity is part of that for me too. Journaling, drawing, noticing, making things with my hands... all of it helps October feel a little less like something I’m rushing through and a little more like something I’m present to. So I’m excited to be tapping back into that again this month. If you want to join me, I’ve got 31 free nature-inspired Drawtober prompts, one for each day of October. No pressure to keep up or make anything “good.” Just use them as a reason to notice, make, sketch, write, or play a little more this month. GET THE FREE DRAWT0BER PROMPTS → And if you’re craving a few more ideas for slowing down this season check out my post from last year: 6 SIMPLE WAYS I’M SLOWING DOWN TIME THIS AUTUMN → I have a few really lovely ways to spend time outside this month, including a free event this Saturday night, an autumn Forest Bathing escape out of the city, and a couple of Missouri Botanical Garden sessions that still have openings. First up... 🌿 Rooted in STL - this Saturday night at MaypopI’m excited to be part of Rooted in STL, a free community event happening this Saturday evening at Maypop Coffee & Garden Shop. Taste of Science is bringing together plant scientists, gardeners, and local ecological organizations for an interactive evening centered around plant science, gardening, pollinators, foraging, sustainability, and all things green and growing. The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and Missouri Botanical Garden are among the organizations involved, and I’ll be there representing Urban Forest Therapy and talking about our relationship with nature from another angle: what happens when we slow down enough to actually notice and connect with the living world around us. taste of science Saturday, October 3 | 6–8pm And did I mention it’s FREE? Space is limited and registration is required, so if spending a Saturday evening among plants, curious humans, and people who really like talking about the natural world sounds like your kind of thing...
🍁 Make a little autumn day of itLater this month, I’ll be heading up to The Nature Institute for one of my favorite kinds of Forest Bathing sessions: the kind that feels like you’ve actually gotten away for a while. Join me on Saturday, October 24 for Autumn Forest Bathing + Nature Therapy surrounded by the woodlands, trails, and changing landscape of The Nature Institute’s preserve in Godfrey. Honestly, part of the experience starts before you even arrive. The drive toward Grafton this time of year can be gorgeous, so I’m giving you full permission to turn this into a mini autumn day retreat. Take the scenic route. Notice the foliage. Come spend a few hours slowing down with us in the woods. And afterward, for anyone who wants to keep the day going, I’m planning an optional community lunch together in Grafton before we head home. You can absolutely come on your own. You can also grab a friend, make a day of it, and let this be your excuse to get out of the city during one of the prettiest stretches of the year. Saturday, October 24
A couple more autumn dates at the Garden 🌿Two of my upcoming Missouri Botanical Garden sessions were accidentally left out when the fall classes were originally released, which means there are still some openings: November 2 - After-Hours Evening Forest Bathing November 4 - Autumn Morning Forest Bathing 🌿 This week’s invitation: Make a markTake a few minutes outside this week with a notebook, scrap of paper, or whatever you have nearby. Find one thing that catches your attention and make some kind of mark in response to it. Sketch its shape. Trace the lines of a leaf. Write down the colors you notice. Describe it in a few words. Make a rubbing. It doesn’t need to look like anything recognizable. The invitation isn’t to make art. It’s simply to spend a little longer looking. See what you notice when your hands get involved too. I hope October gives you plenty of reasons to step outside, look around, and enjoy the fact that we’ve officially entered one of the most beautiful seasons in St. Louis.🤩🍂🍁 I’d love to know what you’re noticing as the season shifts too. What’s changing around you, or within you? What are you craving more of right now? What are you finding yourself drawn toward?
👉 Hit reply and tell me. I always love hearing what this time of year brings up for you.
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Hi! I'm Jess
Sign Up to be notified of upcoming Forest Bathing + Nature Therapy Sessions. I share about Forest and Nature Therapy, nature-based wellness, creative practices, and holistic well-being.