In the summer I attended a Buddhist camping retreat at the invitation of my very good friend May. I was interested for a number of reasons. I wanted to delve deeper into the origins of the mindful meditation practice such as the art of basketry that has become an important part of my life but also to the opportunity it afforded to connect on a more deeper level to myself and to nature by being with likeminded individuals.

I have been quite silent on this blog for a bit and am only resurfacing now as I am gradually writing up my notes from this retreat and cogitating on those experiences.

One of the activities I offered as a share was very basic basket making as a result of playing around with some pliable natural resources I had brought along ‘just in case’. This led to a conversation with a very bright and engaging young lady who commented ” a basket is like a bowl isn’t it, but with holes …. A bit like a colander ” this statement led me to reflect on the nature of baskets and their inherent properties.

During the basket making process, there comes a point where an extra pair of hands comes In very usefully as one attempts to coerce and bend the fibres in a certain way. The natural resources are inherently pliable but also seem to have a mind of their own and can spring back quite violently as you weave them around each other. This brought to mind the way in which one person can support and hold another ,whilst they struggle either physically with something or wrestle mentally with thoughts. An extra pair of hands at these moments is sometimes all that is needed to gently hold the basket whilst your companion deals with those niggly ends that refuse to conform. Sometimes it’s actually holding the whole basket, half finished whilst they go away , to return later, refreshed and rested to complete their work. And that is the art of basketry!

The act of working natural materials with your hands can be a physically demanding activity, making your fingers perform ever more convoluted movements to work with the natural fibres. I have now attempted to enjoy the art of basketry out of various materials, including holly, willow and brambles. Each demands a certain respect for the natural product, especially brambles which have a tendency to come back and bite you if not careful. Willow contains a naturally occurring type of salicylic acid ( the natural form of aspirin), so while you manipulate and work with it in your hands, the plant gives back a bit of pain relief for those overworked muscles that are being contorted .

The very nature of baskets and why they have been made for thousands of years is their ability to carry and hold items from the smallest things to ones capable of transporting logs. The basket becomes the support. This led me to think of the balance between holding and keeping and giving and receiving. Sometimes however despite careful holding and trying to keep it all together things can fall through the gaps in the weave. These may be actual objects or in my case thoughts, feelings and sometimes people. Despite our best efforts they slip though the gaps and are lost on the way. However I have come to accept that sometimes these are the things we have to let go, like a leaky bucket , some of the water may be lost between the well and the cooking pot but those drops feed the plants along the way in a way we couldn’t have foreseen or planned.

This sifting can be both positive and negative and much relies heavily on your interpretation of the process. One can view the bits that are left behind as the detritus of everyday life, and these bits can be thrown away whist keeping the precious liquid that has seeped through the gaps or fed the plants along the way. However, like an early prospector, one can see those bits that are left as the most precious, like tiny bits of gold ,left in the pan.

I am trying to learn from both analogies, that both what has been lost along the way and what is left behind is just as important as each other. The ‘stuff’ that leaks out may feed the plants along the way ,it may help my understanding and deepen my knowledge. The ‘bits’ that are left behind may not look like much but have an inherent lesson in them.

I commented to a friend on Facebook last night about the process of journaling and that the process is the important bit, not necessarily the product. My baskets are rudimentary and not refined. They serve a purpose ( well one does, I use it to collect eggs from the hens in the garden). I will never be a basket maker, I haven’t the manual dexterity, time and patience to achieve competency but what I can do is enjoy the art of basketry , the process involve and create serviceable objects for myself to use.

Since making that first basket, my collection of second hand baskets has continued to grow. I am fascinated by the weave and the strength achieved by manipulating natural materials …… However weaving is a separate post !!