Materials

Recording device (e.g., camera, microphone, smartphone—any device which can visually or audibly document your inspiration)

Facility for travel (good shoes, bicycle, skateboard—something to help you stay comfortable while moving)

Essentials (appropriate attire for exploring outside, a snack, mask, water—stay hydrated)

Drawing paper

Writing utensil

Instructions

01. PREPARE

Think about a theme for your project. It could be something about your life, current events, the weather, you name it! Identify which recording devices you will use during your field meditation. Be sure to pick a medium you are most comfortable using. Next, consider what route you will take on your exploration outside. This exercise encourages flexibility so be sure to allow room to safely go off the beaten path, to wander, and find inspiration. It is important to start with a general idea of where you will be going, to prevent yourself from getting lost or stuck. Lastly, identify and prepare your workspace at home so you are ready to create upon your return. How else can you prepare for your adventure?

02. EXPLORE

Move outside to begin your field meditation. Be sure to look, listen, and feel as you move along your route: sensation is the key. Is there a tune in your head? Find a song title in a street name, a pattern in a building facade, a poem in a flowerbed. You can find inspiration everywhere. In between these rhythms, take breaks. Find a place to stop with a view and allow yourself to meditate. Immerse yourself in the moment in any sensation that captures you.

03. DOCUMENT

Using your recording device, make sure you capture all that you can from your meditation through images or audio recordings. Some things you can capture include: patterns, color, animal and street sounds. What other sensory connections can you make along your meditation? Use your recording tools to document as much material as inspires you.

04. POST-PRODUCTION

Finally we will take what we have gathered to create an original work of art. If you find a place in the field you’d like to create, make yourself comfortable there. Otherwise, once you are back at your home workspace, begin by laying out your materials to review what you’ve captured. Does anything you captured play off one another? Is there a conflict? A resolution? Next, use your writing utensils and drawing paper to create a drawing or story inspired by your field meditation. Allow your artwork to embody the experience you had along your journey. Your story is waiting to be told—stay flexible and allow for surprises. 

Share your field meditation creation with us! #MuseumFromHome #ConnectWithCAMH | @camhouston

About Virtual Drop-In Experiences

CAMH’s Virtual Drop-In Experiences feature instructions for pop-up activities you can do at home. Each hands-on activity provides creative opportunities to experience current exhibitions from a distance in a unique and meaningful way.