#beachcoming

I’ve never really considered myself an artist, but more of a maker. I don’t paint or illustrate, or sing or play an instrument. I love using my hands though, and I love creating things, ideally with objects that have been otherwise discarded. I suppose that the intention is there then, to create something beautiful and aesthetically pleasing, and maybe that’s what art is? Anyway, I’m not actually here to debate these things.

Living with the beach on my doorstep and a tonne of time on my hands, beachcombing has become a way to practise mindfulness and becoming comfortable with my own thoughts. Of course, every kid who goes to the beach picks up pretty shells, but when you end up with countless containers of various colours of seaglass, shells, and pebbles it becomes time to make something from them. And to be perfectly honest, as soon as I decided to get creative the inspiration hasn’t stopped. Chunks of frosted seaglass become suncatchers, pottery is unique jewellery, and driftwood has pretty endless possibilities. 

I also have a bit of a habit of picking up new hobbies. Macrame, crochet, weaving, wire wrapping and jewellery making are a few that have stuck, and that’s probably why I make things that are mixed medium in the truest sense of the word. I’m not sure if my hangings are appealing to other people, but there is something so rewarding about spotting a unique piece of seaglass, pottery, or driftwood on the beach, picking it up, cleaning it, and turning it into something greater. 

It sounds dramatic but beachcombing has helped me like nothing else has, and I think that doctors should probably prescribe a course of it for many things. Focussing on nothing other than the sand and pebbles in front of you and what they may be hiding forces you to connect with nature and to appreciate the small things. But it is very easy to become fixated on the sand and to miss what you’re surrounded by, so one rule I follow is to remind myself to take little breaks every so often, and to look up. Standing with your feet in the sea (even if you’ve got wellies on..)  has got to be one of the nicest feelings in the world. 

Some other rules I follow...

1. Smile and say hello to every doggo. Obviously. 

2. Smile at fellow beach-goers. The nice ones anyway.

3. Thank Mother Nature on every beach trip. She never fails to provide an amazing selection of objects every single time I go hunting, and I can’t help but think that she always knows what I’m after. It’s the same reason that I never feel competition with fellow beach-goers, they’re probably looking for things that I’m not and one of us has better eyesight than the other anyway. One person's trash and all that... 

4. Take as much plastic rubbish as possible. A spare bag is always a good idea.

5. Don’t wipe out the beach of all its treasure. Leave some for other beachcombers and the creatures who live there.