PROPOSAL:
Being
physical in the great outdoors has always been more than just a hobby to enjoy,
for me it is a need. I have never been one to settle in one place for long, I
get ‘itchy feet’. If I cannot move freely, make the change that is needed I
become suffocated and feel constrained and restricted, mentally, emotionally
and physically. Because of the way modern life is now, the way humans have
adopted a way of living that encourages us to ‘settle down’, to find a permanent
place to work and live we have neglected our nomadic instincts.
At one time
humankind were in touch with the cycles of live on Earth and would move with
the seasons to places where they knew there would be food and kinder climates,
always aware of their connection with the Earth and the world around them, just
as the other animals of the planet still are. By living this nomadic existence
we would have had little need for material objects other than tools, clothing and
shelter thus having a minimal effect on the Earth and its environment. We would
have been conscious of our existence as part of the whole so would have been
aware of the fact that by harming the Earth we would be harming ourselves. Claiming
ownership of land would have been an alien concept. Now we are encouraged and conditioned
by an industrial culture to own, use and consume with little concern of the consequences.
We are very much aware of the destruction we are causing but the acknowledgement
of the pain this causes is too much to face, so to make ourselves feel better
we do what we are told will make us feel good again, consume. We are told what
to buy, what to wear, what to eat, where to live, how to live, what is right,
what is wrong, we are even told who we should and shouldn’t be. All this goes
against our deepest, truth felt feelings of what and who we are.
“....to an
almost total eclipse of the ‘life-world’ in a modern era is a nearly complete
forgetting of this living dimension in which all our endeavours are rooted.”
(Abram 1997 Spell Of The Sensuous
p.41)
I have
become fascinated by those that decide to go against what is considered normal,
they have listened to their hearts and followed an instinct that drives them to
want to go on a journey of self discovery to find a truth that feels real and
right for them.
This search
for something real and right is why I walk. My practice is about a search for
something beyond the constraints of society and its expectations and a
connection to that cosmic something that flows through everything. Often those
that chose to ‘opt out’ get rid of all their possessions, other than the
essentials and are drawn to the wilderness where they have space, solitude and
freedom. They chose to live off the land and travel on foot, not having to rely
on anything or anyone but themselves and their intuition. They try get away
from the influence of a materialistic culture to reconnect with the flow of
nature that we are all interconnected with in order to find an inner truth.
As time goes
on and my family grows up, I am becoming very much aware of my need, an inner
pull and yearning that calls for me to rid myself of pointless possessions and
make preparations for my ‘road trip’ of discovery. To do this I must prepare
myself mentally and physically so that I can take on the challenge with
confidence in my capabilities.
“To the
desert go prophets and hermits; through deserts go pilgrims and exiles. Here
the leaders of the great religions have sought the therapeutic and spiritual
values of retreat, not to escape but to find a reality.”
(Jon Krakauer 2008
Into The Wild p.25)
PLAN:
With two colleagues
form Studio 11 I plan to go wild camping on the Gower Peninsula in Wales 5-7th
May. We will be taking all that we need for the trip in rucksacks so can only
take what we can carry. The experience will
be documented through photography, sketches and a written journal.
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