“An artist must return frequently to the soil; he must plow it, sow it, weed it, harvest the grain. The contact with the earth renews us. To be only an artist is to feed on oneself, and go barren.”
-Irving Stone (The Agony and the Ecstacy)
This should already be apparent by now if you’re a regular reader, but as I am completely obsessed, I thought I would feature Gardening in this week’s “Things I ♥” post.
The above quote resonates so deeply with me–I was thrilled when I came across it; I wasn’t searching for it, but it appeared as a perfect way to express my feelings on this. I think it’s so important for artists, crafters, creative-types, or whatever you want to call them, to be in constant contact with nature. For that matter, I think everyone should be–and perhaps those who do not consider themselves “creative” will be inspired to get creative!
There is an indescribable feeling that comes from working in the soil. One can easily imagine fresh air and green scenery to be very pleasant and relaxing. But something about the digging, sowing, weeding, watering…the best way I can describe it is healing, restorative, and you must experience it for yourself to see what I mean.
And the other perk? Fresh, DELICIOUS, home-grown vegetables! And organic, too, if you so choose…and I recommend that you do, if you can! There are the occasional pests that might eat up your veggies, but most of the time these can be controlled with minimal chemical interference. And always, a hoe is better than an herbicide! (And, of course, I think weeding is part of the fun.)
Also… I love earthworms. I think they’re cute. And they are very important to your soil.