Today, I stepped outside onto my front porch to observe the trees swaying in the constant San Francisco breeze. The sunlight cast mere foot-long shadow shapes and created micro-climates as it peeked through and around the buildings. Moisture from the recent rain bubbled up on the deck, and birds fluttered about on the leafy branches surrounding me.

Earth Day, founded in 1970, was initiated to raise awareness about the environment and our use of its natural resources. Today, we largely celebrate it as a way to honor the flora and fauna that thrive on its surface. Whether there is a cool breeze in the air or rain falling on our faces, the nature Earth provides is always creating patterns. Do you agree? The Earth spins round and round the sun creating cyclical seasons. The sun rises and sets in the sky every day. Beneath our feet is the ground, and between those two things, there are infinite opportunities for natural inspiration.

As an artist and a writer, I like to observe the world outside myself and use the musings inside my head to create based on those observations. So today, I ask you to step outside, take a moment to look around at all the Earth has to offer. And, on this Earth Day, use that observation to create a pattern of your own, like in my book Patterns, Patterns Everywhere.

To make art, you certainly do not need to know how to draw perfectly; in fact, that desire often complicates your ability to create art. You can simply collect leaves, do a rubbing or use a stamp pad with a leaf to press something colorful together, or even gather materials to make a collage. The key is to let your creative mind flourish and bask in the nature that Earth provides. 

Let’s make a collage! 

Ideas: a garden, flowers, bugs, butterflies, bees - really anything you can imagine!

Step 1 - Collect elements from outside. I collected a bunch of leaves from my garden.

Step 2 - Gather art supplies (glue, markers, and stamp pads).

STEP 3 - Think of a theme and begin! You can press the leaves onto the stamp pads and use them as stamps to create bugs or leaf shapes for texture.

Step 4 - Draw details in with your markers. Think about adding bug legs, the butterfly’s body, or maybe another butterfly!

Step 5 - Keep going! Make another bug with a different color leaf. Draw in the bug’s head, its antennae, or add its habitat. There really isn’t anything you can do wrong. 

Step 6 - Continue to play with your garden scene by adding stickers or stamps.

Your finished piece will be filled with patterns and representations of Earth’s abundance. The most important thing to remember is that you are a valuable part of this Earth — Happy Earth Day!