RESEARCH
Your world in words: connecting to oneself and nature Gazelle Buchholtz Freelance writer, researcher and environmental worker
The project Your World in Words seeks to support people’s growth of nature connectedness and confidence. The idea arose from elements derived from my work based on a Master of Science, Biology – Communication of Scientific Knowledge, a Minor in creative writing, and as a guided reader at the Danish reader organisation. Furthermore, coming form an upbringing with severe alcohol and drug abuse in the close family, in a socially deprived area, it has been liberating to discover how nature, reading and writing can help to handle, redeem and process difficult situations. I wish to share these benefits with other people. Gazelle Buchholtz
Ann Hodson Social work lecturer
The workshop described here was developed to support young people who are experiencing difficult challenges. Through a pilot test of the project, we saw that the session was mentally stimulating, and a powerful tool which can bring out vulnerability as well as wellbeing and healing aspects. Interplay of nature, writing and reading can tune people into connectedness with nature, oneself and other people.
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I am a social worker with more than 10 years experience in child protection. In 2011 I completed my PhD and since then have been working in academia as a social work lecturer. I teach a range of subjects including reflective practice and in 2014 I co-authored a book on reflective writing. I also have a research interest in childhood trauma. As a child I experienced close personal bereavement and found reading and writing stories provided an opportunity for emotional solace, but was criticised by teachers for poor spelling and grammar. This dented my confidence and I left school with few academic qualifications. As an adult I decided to take evening classes and ultimately went on to university. I now want to inspire young people to fulfil their potential. Ann Hodson
Introduction David Attenborough has stated, ‘No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced’ (Williams, 2013). We live in a world where urbanised areas continue to increase: in 2007 the United Nations reported that at least 50% of the world’s population was living in cities. It predicted this would rise to 60% by 2030 (Science Daily, 2017). With a rapidly increasing world population, the growth of cities has the potential to create a wall between nature and humans, ultimately risking disregard for natural resources. William Bird (Moss, 2012) stated the importance of connecting with nature at a young age.
He claimed that if a child is not connecting with nature below 12 years old, they will lose the resilience which nature provides. With a new type of workshop Your World in Words we want to help people of all ages, but particularly children and young people, to connect to nature as well as to themselves. The workshops allow participants to have space and time to connect with nature and to feel confident using written expression to reflect, relax and be creative. This paper briefly considers existing research and outlines the findings from a pilot workshop of Your World in Words. The pilot was one of a series of workshops in creative writing and shared reading that has nature and the natural world at its core.
© Journal of holistic healthcare ● Volume 16 Issue 1 Spring 2019
