This photo of Hannah Matilda “Mattie” Shough sitting outdoors in her front yard at her secretary desk, papers piled about, inkwell open, staring ahead in her high-neck, full-length dress made me chuckle.
I don’t usually write en plein air, mostly because I get distracted by the birds and squirrels vying for food in the feeder, the deer grazing on grass in the field, and (when I’m lucky), the hooting of barred owls nearby. I don’t usually sit still when I’m outside, and it would be hard to write while walking (although I’ve been known to record a few voice memos if an idea strikes me while walking). Some of my favorite places are the wooded trails along the Potomac River in Great Falls, and the Atlantic surf near Cape Henlopen. The sun and fresh air almost always clear my mental cobwebs, and cure my writers’ block. Maybe that’s what Mattie had been hoping to do the day this photo was taken.
There is scientific evidence that spending time outdoors connecting with nature is good for our wellbeing. A few years ago I stumbled onto a Time “Live Well” article by Qing Li that introduced me to the Japanese phrase shinrin-yoku, which translates to forest bathing. When I’m listening to owls and watching deer, I’m forest bathing. I guess when I’m on the beach, I’m ocean bathing. I’m not quite sure how that translates, but the general idea is the same for me. Mother Nature has all kinds curative powers, no matter what we call it.
Looking at Mattie, I see wisps of her hair sticking out behind her, as if a breeze is tickling her neck and boosting her spirits. Maybe she smiled right after the photo was taken. I’ll never know for sure, but I’d like to think she was getting ready to write something brilliant and clever after some old-fashioned forest bathing.
If you’d like to learn more about shinrin-yoku, here’s the link to Qing Li’s article.
Shellie Kalinsky 