Freedom Through Songwriting in Nature

Imagine you are walking in a mossy-logged, dewy leaved, soil smelling forest. There’s a song in your head and a story in your mind, maybe not on the surface at first, but it’s waiting to be set free. Perhaps you carry an instrument, and/or a notebook. You sit by the river, waiting for something to happen. Something will always happen. Even if “nothing” is happening, something is happening. Going out into nature with an intention related to your own creativity will bring you a deeper understanding of yourself and the unique gifts you bring to the world. If you are a musician or an artist, you may see your craft in a new way. If you don’t consider yourself an artist, you may unlock an artist part of yourself you’ve never met. While you can practice any sort of art in nature, we’ll focus on songwriting and music. 

Healing Trauma Through Songwriting in Nature 

Writing songs in nature provides seen and unseen gifts to ourselves and the rest of the world. The natural beings around us (i.e. trees, clouds, sticks, rocks) tend to provide reflections of our human experiences and emotions, which is where songs are birthed. When we are witnessed in our pain by ourselves and natural beings with the container of music, there is room to release what is emotionally ailing us. 

The continued playing and listening to the music is a form of therapy that keeps on giving to us, reminding us of the places we’ve been. One of the final steps of trauma processing is “making meaning” of the shadows that have entered our life, whether it be distinct terrible events, or slow pain from continued ruptures or emotional abuse. To weave a song from our experience creates a newfound meaning of our trauma through music. Every time we play this song, we are brought back to the space in nature where we felt seen and heard in our pain. Often the songs will morph and change because songs can be thought of as living organisms. Some people like to think of them as children who grow and change as they are supposed to. To keep a song the same, especially when it was written in such an organic way is impossible. This process of change mirrors our trauma processing journey.

Writing Your Song

Picture this: you are sitting by the river, wondering if this song writing process is going to work. Suddenly, you notice a rock in the water. It looks like the face of a woman you used to know. A wave of grief washes through your body, not unlike the ripples in the water, and lyrics start to flow. You repeat the lyrics in your head, or perhaps write them in your notebook. You start to sing them and then listen for the chords that support the melody. If you play an instrument, you might be inspired to play along. If not, you let the song simmer inside. A natural melody comes. Sometimes the melody doesn’t come right away and we take the seeds of beginnings back to the place where we sculpt our song. Sometimes we finish the sculpture of our song right there in the moment. 

The Mystery of Music in the Natural World

As you can see, there are lots of possibilities and a sense of mystery when we set this auspicious intention of creating art in the woods. When we write with the inspiration of our emotions in nature, we heal. Although we have explored what a songwriting session might look like, it can feel daunting to begin. I would love to lead you in the beginning of this process. Visit my nature therapy page to find out more about working with me to cultivate a life long relationship with the natural world.