Learning All The Time

Making Art in the Art Gallery

Learning all the time is the title of one of my favourite John Holt books on home education. For me it sums up the basic tenet of our home schooling and the cornerstone of my philosophy of life. Learning is not something to be confined to one place or one time, but is as natural to us as breathing.

Learning about Flowers

Henry Ford said,

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. He who continues to learn stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young."

And I'm reminded of one of my friend's from our local knitting club. She's in her seventies and still learning all the time. The look of enthusiasm on her face as she told me recently about a botanical outing by our local river said it all. Stay curious, take every opportunity to learn and you will find and enjoy the wonder in the world around you. 

Lys du jardin - spot the visitor!

Experience tells us that as we get older we sadly tend to lose the open eyed view of the world we cherish in our children. Our experiences constantly modify our interpretation of everything we do. The innocent curiosity of childhood is lost to our judgements, knowledge and the tired paths our neurons keep traveling. And time seems to pass faster.

Rambling Rose Albertine and Friend

According to Douwe Draaisma, dutch psychologist and author of Why life speeds up as you get older, that's because as we get older discoveries and novelties tend to become rarer. As a child we are adventurous, big exciting experiences and discoveries are common. First trip in an airplane, first time sleeping in a hotel, first day at school, first time buying the bread all by yourself. 

First time I saw the stamen

But if we're learning all the time, if we make a conscious choice to look at the world with what the Buddhist's call the beginner's mind, then we can stay young of heart and mind.

Pivoine - my wedding flowers - gift for our 10th anniversary

Practically speaking this might mean starting something new, trying a food you've never tried before or taking a walk in silence listening to the noises around you as if you've never heard them before. Or why not reading a new book? I could probably have called this reading all the time and the point would have been the same! Try a new author or a completely new subject. Check out the wonderful brainpickings.org for new ideas. You could even join their weekly newsletter? 

Fly on the Hortensia - spotting the tiny things!

I suppose above all what I'm getting at is a quality of attention. The same quality I try to bring to listening to my children. The same quality I bring to my photography (alongside practice - see Observe, practice, be grateful). The same quality I seek when I'm writing poetry. And the same quality I hope my children will foster throughout their lives, not just to stay young but to stay filled with wonder at this wonderful world we are so lucky to live in!

P.S. If you do try something or read something new, please share with me, I'd love to hear about it!

Coming Soon... How botanical drawing fosters mindfulness and scientific observation! 

Raindrops on Maple Leaves