by Ashley Christian
According to “Eco-emotions and Psychoterratic Syndromes: Reshaping Mental Health Assessment Under Climate Change,” in The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, living in the age of global climate crisis has prompted an onset of, “eco-emotions and psychoterratic syndromes which include eco-anxiety, ecological grief, climate worry, and climate trauma.” Although we may recognize some methods of individual prevention – like recycling, shopping sustainably, and reducing power usage – “betrayal and lack of support by governments and policymakers” can still leave us feeling powerless. While the need for practical action is imperative, it must be met with self-care from the individual. Cianconi and her collaborators propose “interventions focused on creative expression and the arts,” paired with reconnection with nature, to target eco-anxiety. Below are some waste-conscious ideas for artistic expression, which create opportunities for mindfulness and immersion in nature.
Leaf Bookmarks
"Fall leaves" by Exiftential is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image cropped.
Isaacs-Thomas notes in a PBS article that raking and disposing of fall leaves destroys shelter for small animals, robs soil of additional nutrients, and creates pollution. It is recommended assess which areas should be cleared and should be left untampered. For any leaves that must be cleared, consider compost as an alternative to trashing or burning.
During this process, you can introduce craft by picking out a few of your favorite leaves in the process. You may press them between two pieces of box tape and cut to your preferred shape. Consider mixing up the colors, shapes, and arrangements to diversify your bookmarks. This creates opportunities for artistic expression and appreciation of nature. When you are done, you have a physical reminder of your action to prevent the disruption of your yard’s eco-system.
Scrap Collages
"Recycling Art Parts (2)" by Carl Campbell is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Image cropped.
Considering the prevalence of open system landfills, which allow waste to leak into soil and water, it makes sense to avoid simply tossing out our junk mail, cling wrap, old magazines, and clothing tags. While recycling can reduce the harm of paper and plastic waste, we can also repurpose these items to make artistic collages.
Consider cutting out letters, shapes, colors, textures – Whatever excites you! Then, glue or tape them to a sheet of paper to create your collage. You may want to consider color, shape, and size for this project. For an added challenge, you can elevate the project with three-dimensional layering. Considering themes of nature while crafting may create opportunities for mindful engagement.
Plastic Bottle Planters
"The cut water bottle planters looked very quaint" by shankar s. is licensed under CC BY 2.0. Image cropped.
“The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine estimate that land-based sources account for up to 80% of plastic waste that pollutes waterways and oceans.” This includes many everyday plastic products, such as packaging, consumer items, and single-use plastics. Additionally, we know that gardening can combat climate change by increasing biodiversity. In repurposing plastic bottles for our garden, we can use these practical solutions to create more time for the creative and healing act of gardening.
You can create a simple planter by cutting a two-liter bottle in half. From there, you may screw or nail multiple planters to a vertical board and unscrew the caps to create a trickling water system. This not only repurposes plastic waste, but it also reduces water use by using the run-off from one plant’s water to water the next. Consider introducing creativity in the arrangement, diversity, and decorating of your planters. Bonus points if you reuse rice water, eggshells, or coffee grounds to nourish these plants!
In practicing sustainable crafting as self-care, we can foster the healing of both our climate and our eco-anxiety. At The Fourth River, we are considering ways to incorporate this philosophy of creative repurposing with our back-issues. If you have any suggestions for this project, or other nature-based crafts, be sure to let us know at 4thriver@gmail.com.
Ashley Christian is an assistant editor for The Fourth River. She is also an MFA student and a professor of English at Chatham University. Ashley Christian was awarded The 2024 Laurie Mansell Reich Poetry Prize from the Academy of American Poets for her poem “Home Buried.” Her favorite flower is a Canna Lily.