Muse No. 5  May 6, 2020

Line Design by Clare LaRose, Santa Fe Botanical Garden Volunteer Coordinator

From Donella Meadows: “…ideas are not stopped by the lines. How could they be? The lines are themselves only ideas.” Look back to your collection of lines- or make a new collection! Quickly sketch your different lines if you have not already. Sort your collection into groups based on your line’s similarities and differences. What groupings do you see? (human made, nature made, long, short, wiggly, straight, etc…) Choose a group of lines and make a design. Share your drawing with us #gardenmusings

We’re drawing inspiration from influential environmental thinker Dr. Donella Meadows. From her poem “Lines in the Mind, Not in the World” we’re thinking more deeply about the lines around us: where we find them, what they divide (or not), how they change. You can find the full text of the poem at the Donella Meadows Project.

The Garden Musings Project is an open invitation to look more closely and broadly at our backyards, front yards and neighborhoods. Each week we’ll send three prompts focused around a theme – color, texture, lines, interaction to name a few. These prompts will include ideas to guide a musing or conversation between you and your nearby outdoor spaces. Try each of the exercises, or stick with one that evolves into a regular practice.

Every few weeks, we’ll have a live-stream conversation (via Zoom) to share our experiences, and to chat with artists, educators, writers, poets and gardeners from New Mexico and a far about their own practices observing and interacting with their gardens, landscapes and other natures around them.

Ways to Join: Participate at any level in the project is welcome. Try the weekly musings  as they come up in your social media feeds. Sign-up for the project emails below to receive the weekly musings in your inbox, as well as the information for the group gatherings via Zoom through the registration list.

Sign up here > to receive project emails.  Or email us at tallie@santafebotanicalgarden.org.