Journal – Laura Anne Brown

Creating from the edge of a Scottish commuter town

What part does place play in creativity? For a time, I thought I couldn’t write about Scotland unless beautiful scenery was my backdrop. Here’s how my views have changed.

A reunion from the ruins

Daffodils behind a wall, with a view to hills on the horizon

As the travel restrictions ease in Scotland, families can reunite. But returning to my childhood village brings both new discoveries and a reminder of what has been lost.

How did you fall in love with the outdoors?

How would you tell your origin story of your relationship with the living world? I reflect on how my parents have shaped my love of nature.

Brighter days and beautiful scars in the Lomond Hills

On an early spring day, blue skies sit over the rolling Fife hills. As I walk, I consider how good weather can be a balm after the worst of winters.

On finding hope and adventure in familiar landscapes

A stone wall with a fence and a panorama of the River Forth in the background

Before, repeating the same walk every weekend might have been many people’s definition of boredom. Now, the small green spaces on our doorstep provide calm in the chaos.

Noticing nature and letting go of certainty

A close up of bluebells surrounded by grass

After a week of work — which involves creating content about the coronavirus for about 7 hours a day, which as you’ve guessed doesn’t provide much opportunity from switching off from the situation we currently find ourselves in — one of the weekend’s simplest pleasures is sitting in the kitchen with a coffee and toast,Continue reading “Noticing nature and letting go of certainty”

A walk near home to mark the weekend

A quick blog based on yesterday’s evening stroll and the notes I took afterwards in a journal, scrawled vertically whilst lying in bed before midnight. The sky was hazy, like viewing it through condensation on glass. ‘Walk?’ B messaged me. We hadn’t done this yet, but this notion we had before we moved to FifeContinue reading “A walk near home to mark the weekend”

Little signs of spring near home in Fife

Yesterday we hiked up the hill behind our house. I say hike because this crag is far from a leisurely weekend stroll: the first part sees the walker take on a steep, leaf-lined trail before meeting a welcome flat pasture; from there, a grassy cattle road is joined and soon he or she is pointedContinue reading “Little signs of spring near home in Fife”