Wild Ink Challenge / Week 1
February can be a tough month for me. The winter’s are cold + gray here in Virginia. I am a warm weather, sunshine on my face, hands in the garden soil kind of girl and sometimes February can feel like winter is neverending. This year, I decided to challenge myself creatively. I’ve been working with Wild Ink for almost a year now. I’ve shared a bit of this creative process before, but for the most part I’ve kept it to myself- until now. While I thought of this challenge for me, I thought it would be a great idea to offer it to anyone who may be having a hard time this winter, or anyone who just wants to learn something new. There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to do this challenge. It’s completly self paced and can be down slowly over the coming weeks.
Here’s how the challenge will work. Each week, I’ll upload the prompts and assignments here on the blog and will share them to my newsletter subscribers. So if you’d like the prompts sent directly to your inbox, just subscribe below! During this challenge, you’ll have a chance to connect to nature + your own intuition. You’ll find a few plant specimens to work with + will learn more about each plant. I’ll guide you through the process of making inks from your specimens, and then it will be time to work with them! The process is a wonderful way to connect to yourself more, connect to nature, and learn the art of letting go. I first started working with inks as a way to loosen my own control. Having started this process last year when lockdown first started, I was having a hard time allowing circumstances to come and go. I wanted to stay in control of EVERYTHING and yet, we all know that can never happen, in ‘normal’ life or during a pandemic.
So, whether you decide to join me, or just follow along, I am glad you are here! I’ve created 2 hashtags to go along with this challenge: #wildinkchallenge and #wildcraftwithsarah if you’re joining in and sharing on the socials, I’d love it if you used these hashtags so I can follow along in your own journey!
Now- Let’s get to it, shall we…
Week 1
Welcome to week one! This first week is all about collecting the material you are called to work with. And I say “called to work with” because I truly believe if you listen, nature will call to you. It is sometimes just a whisper, other times it can feel like a SHOUT! I have had many plants ask to work with me- just be open to what you hear. Take some time this week to notice the plant or nature specimens that you are surrounded with outside. You’d be amazed at what you can find in your own backyard. Don’t have a yard? No problem. Walk your neighborhood. How many times have you seen weeds growing in between cracks in the sidewalk? I have found you can make ink from just about any plant. If it has a color, you can make ink with it!
These Cedar of Lebanon Cones make a beautiful deep blush ink color
Your Assignments for this week:
Go on a few nature walks. This doesn’t have to be a time-consuming task. I personally LOVE a good long wander but we all don’t always have the time. So walk around your yard, your block, down your street. Wherever you go, just take notice of the plants around you. While you are walking, find at least 3 plants/bark/berries/roots you’d like to work with. For this challenge, you’ll only be making 1-2 oz of ink so roughly 1-2 cups (give or take) of your specimen is all you need. Be sure you are practicing ethical harvesting practices. Only take what you need, and leave the rest. In my research, the general rule of thumb, is to harvest less than 5% of the specimen and be sure you are harvesting from numerous plants and sites. If there isn’t enough to work with-then leave it for another season. In the book, Braiding Sweet Grass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, she talks about leaving a gift to the Earth in exchange for your harvest. This can be in the form of another plant (Robin often talks about leaving tobacco behind as is done in the Indigenous Culture), a prayer, or simply a ‘Thank You’.
Now it’s time to identify and do a little research on the plant/bark/berries/roots you’ve selected to work with (or perhaps what has selected you). There are plenty of reference books and apps to help you along in your search. Oftentimes a quick Google search can be sufficient too. I personally like to know the Identity, Medicinal Uses, and Spiritual Uses + Meanings. A few of my reference books include: The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants by Andrew Chevallier; The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh; and The Encyclopedia of Bach Flower Therapy by Mechthild Scheffer. I also use the app ‘Garden Answers’. It’s a handy app where you can take a picture of your plant and it will match it to their database.
Go ahead and take a photograph of your plant material for future reference. If you’ve collected enough material, it’s a fun idea to press a sample as well in a flower press, or a large book works well too. Once you’ve made your ink, it can be hard to remember what the original specimen looked like.
Next week’s assignment is to actually make the ink. So, you can save your specimens in the fridge if they are fresh, dry them by hanging them upside down in a dark room, or just wait to harvest until closer to ink making time. This week is really all about observing and researching.
I found these abandoned cherries while walking through the streets.
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