Learning to see the world, thanks to insects
🐝 = the art of seeing
Keeping bees has profoundly changed my perspective of what the world is made up of and how it works. I find myself noticing things that I would have overlooked before, signs in the landscapes around me, especially urban ones. 🐝 🐝 🐝
It’s made me think a lot about the idea, or the art, of seeing.
Some people say that to draw is to see clearly, and vice versa: you can only draw well when you really look properly.
And the art or the ways of seeing, as we know, is a skill, that can be learned.
“The purpose of drawing is teaching you to look, and look at the world differently. If you register what you're seeing… you bring the world into consciousness in a very direct way. That is available to people who draw all over the world". — Roger Malbert. Why drawing is the perfect digital detox
So how do we learn to see? Well, one way I guess, then, is to practice drawing. But another way is to learn about the things that we see, and how they are made up of different shapes and negative space.
Beekeeping is the same.
This newfound awareness extends to at least trying to understand the natural processes of the world. I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for the intricate balance of ecosystems everywhere, recognising how each creature, no matter how small, plays a vital role making the world work as it should.
People who’ve been up in space talk about feeling humbled when they look down at planet earth — it’s what they refer to as the Overview Effect.
But from a planet perspective and seeing the Earth from up there, that planet Overview Effect, and realising how connected everything is all the system of systems that the planet is, was one of the things that really got driven home to me and how events in one part of the planet will affect affect others. — NASA Astronaut Bob Hines: What is it Like to Look Down at the Earth from Space?
Learning about bees and watching them go about their business had the same effect on me. They’re there tumbling over each other, in the dark a lot of the time, just like us. And we’re all connected: us, them, everything, all darknesses, all tumblings, all of it. It opened up a silent space in me that I didn’t know I could grow.
Before I kept bees I was the human equivalent of a concrete block. Here, and in the world, but not of the world. In Flemish Dutch, when they talk about the need people have for the ‘great outdoors’, they talk about their need to ‘be in the nature’.
Beekeeping brings you face to face with the fact that ‘the nature’ isn’t something out there, separate from you. You’re in the nature too. THE CALL IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE (or something).
“I was watching the power of nature,” she began. “I realized that the ocean isn’t asking permission to be the force she is. The wind isn’t being coy about how hard it blows. The seagulls are dodging in and out, unafraid of the wildness of the ocean and wind. They’re dancing in harmony with that wildness.”
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I’m suddenly interested in my sprawling garden. I haven’t really done that much with it since we moved in. Really just letting the leaves fall where they may and the branches lie undisturbed. This is great for insect life, though, so I can at least tell people I’m not a lazy gardener.
I’ve learned to identify which plants bloom at different times of the year, providing essential nectar and pollen for the bees. This understanding has not only benefited my beekeeping but also, obviously, made me more in the world.
Basically, beekeeping has made me more mindful and knowledgeable about the world around me. I have a greater respect for nature and its complex, beautiful processes.
It’s a journey of continuous learning and discovery, and I can’t imagine my life without honey bees in it.
🐝 Thanks for reading! 🐝
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Reminder: Fake Breakdown Crafts is open again and you can buy weavings, altered tins, and zines there. New products added in a slow-made, low key kind of way.
Love,
Jessica 🌱
P.S I always love to hear from you in a comment, with a ❤️, or even a restack to Substack Notes. 🐝