“If the Earth is a whale,” writes RadJoy Community member Julie Johnson in a recent piece, “Naming Nature’s Nuances: Practice for Playing in Place,” “I exist within the belly of it. The world ingests me as much as I ingest the world.”

Julie urges us to find creative ways of engaging with the Earth inside and all around us, asking, in this excerpt, “Whether it be through art, images, words, poems, conversation, interior gleanings, or some other form, how might you ‘play with place’?” She offers these suggestions:

—Whenever you forget about our deep connection to here, listen to Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot or Pink Floyd’s Eclipse lyrics (or seek out some other resonant and fabulous art form of your choosing) to remember how deeply tied the entirety of our human existence is to where we are right now.

—Consider adopting the practice of Radical Joy for Hard Times or reading and sharing their stories.

—Find a spot near you, any spot, and check it on it regularly to build up the habit of noticing who and what exists here with you. It does not need to be a fancy ideal version of pristine nature! Maybe it’s the parking lot where a dandelion pokes through a crack. Maybe it’s the sky from the window. Maybe it is just the window (there’s lots happening at the corners of every window). Be curious. Lean in. What happens here over time?

—Consider drawing personal and emotional maps about where you are. How is memory tied to your place(s)? Where is your personal and cultural history located? Where did/do you feel devastated, comforted, sustained? Where did you meet people or have events that changed your life? What places are/were most generous? Where are the smaller more consistent spots of your life happening? You can map them out, name them, celebrate them.

—Take a picture of places you love and share why. Link it to your environmental concerns. And tag me on Instagram, I’d love to see them @julieeejohnsonnn.

Read Julie’s entire article.