30 Ways to Get Creative for 30 Days Wild

Nature is the ultimate inspiration. From Wordsworth to William Morris, Beatrix Potter to Douglas Adams, storytellers and artists have long found creative stimulation in the wild world around us.

Getting out in nature has also been found to increase creativity. Try one of these artistic ideas for 30 Days Wild – lots of them are great for rainy days (assuming you don’t mind missing all these opportunities) or days when you’re feeling too ill to get out of bed (in which case these ideas might help too).

1. Write a poem inspired by nature.
2. Read a book inspired by nature.
3. Make a botanically accurate replica of a flower from the contents of your recycling box.
4. Make a flower petal mosaic.
5. Make a butterfly or dragonfly out of leaves.
6. If you work with a creative team, try brainstorming outdoors.
7. Make a bouquet of wildflowers (wear gloves when you’re picking them to ensure you don’t get burned by any toxic sap, unless you know which wildflowers are safe – and only pick common flowers. If in doubt, stick to dandelions and daisies.)
8. Paint a landscape.
9. Create a miniature garden.
10. Make a nature-inspired cake.
11. Create art with nature: paint a watercolour then leave it in the rain to let nature add her magic. You can try this with poster paints or powder paint too.
12. Find faces in tree bark.
13. Make a journey stick by decorating a sturdy branch with nature finds. Use it to remind you of all your adventures by adding to it each time you go out.
14. Make a feather fascinator from feathers you’ve collected.
15. Read about a favourite nature writer or artist (I love William Morris’s writing, as well as his glorious art, and his daughter, May Morris is also well worth reading about.)
16. Draw a flower.
17. Make a meal inspired by what you can forage (don’t forage anything you’re uncertain about and if in doubt, don’t.) Cooking can be just as creative as any other art form.
18. Photograph a bird.
19. Create public nature art with found items.
20. Make a nature collage from old wildlife magazines.
21. Make a fairy doll out of recycled tights (tutorial coming soon).
22. Decoupage an old piece of furniture with nature pictures.
23. Make a shell garden.
24. Recycle clingfilm into a seascape by painting it and sprinkling with biodegradable glitter (although ideally, don’t use clingfilm at all).
25. Take photographs of clouds then create a story out of your photos (better yet, share your story on Instagram).
26. Find spirals or hearts in nature.
27. Create a nature moodboard to inspire you.
28. Create an aromatherapy blend that smells like the forest (Tip: go gently on pine oil and balance with woodier oils such as cedarwood, and earthier ones such as clary sage. Check carefully that an oil is safe for children if you do this with kids – and consider pet safety too.).
29. Be like a Womble and see what you can craft with the things that, ‘everyday folks leave behind.’
30. Write an ebook about nature (I wrote Go Wild! Over 200 Ways to Connect With Nature, and am donating all profits from June sales to The Wildlife Trusts)