Nature is speaking - Social Nomad
I've never touted myself as an environmentalist, mostly because I'm too uncommitted to label myself as something. However, I've always had an innate care for our environment but always knowing I could do better.
I should do better.
We should all do better.
The industrial revolution, as much as it made our every day lives convenient, took us a lot further away from nature than we might have intended. We no longer have to walk anywhere, we no longer need to grow, or pick our own food, we don't have to talk face to face, or with with time to think and write another human being to communicate...heck, can go days and weeks without speaking or seeing another human being and still get anything we need/want.
As we've disconnected ourselves from even a basic experience within nature, we've also seen a rise in diseases and it's not hard to see the connection. And, it's not hard to see the connection with the extreme weather changes we've been having either.
It shouldn't take scientists and law makers..or even the Pope to tell us what to do but, it seems, it does - and even still we don't listen. I think we can all make simple changes in our habits to create small changes. Getting a little closer to nature is actually very calming on your nervous system and, sometimes, it simply slows you down and, to be honest, we all need a little more of that.
I know we're a fashion brand but our designs and lifestyle is heavily informed by nature and, where possible our products are made with sustainability in mind. Using remnant fabric for limited pieces. Or, re-purposing vintage fabrics..like those used for our Kimono's and dresses.
I encourage you to watch the video below; it's a powerful 5 minutes narrated by Julia Roberts and it's gone viral at the moment....I'm not surprised. It's a message we all need to heed. Below the video, I'll post a few changes you can make to your everyday life to make a difference both to your health & our environment.
Besides it being a great message, it's all visually stunning.
5 small ways to make a difference
1/. Hang your laundry out once in a while: not only is it good for the environment, it's a calming thing to do and slows you down. Rather than throw your clothes into your dryer and move on to the next task, take the time to hang it on a line or a clothes horse to dry. It's summer time, there's no excuse.
2/. Bring your own bags to the grocery store: this isn't a new concept and it should be obvious by now. First of all it's just more convenient since you can usually put more items in your own bags and, hopefully, you have a bag you can put over shoulder. Don't forget to help bag your groceries either, it helps everyone out!
3/. Walk more often: Listen, there aren't any disadvantages to walking unless you're really in a hurry. But, I'm talking about simply taking the time to walk. It's calming, good for the nervous system, it offers you time to think and many ideas come flooding in when our body is moving. Take the time to walk to do an errand, rather than drive.
4/. Take Public Transport, car pool, ride your bike, or walk: I'm the first to admit how much I love driving. I love being in my little capsule, with my own music and no one to bother me. But, I also realize how important it is to leave the car at home once in a while. Public transport isn't always the most convenient mode of transport but it does, immediately, put you in a social environment and that's good for all of us. Whether we're aware of it or not, being around other people is important for emotional and physical health. We can learn a lot from people watching, it can also make us feel less alone and walking to and from a bus, or a train, offers a convenient way to move your body.....running for a train you're about to miss is even better!
5/. Use your own water bottles: Fill up your own water bottle, often, with drinkable tap water. It's no longer fair to be using so many plastic water bottles and, forget to the cases of Poland Spring for your home. It's just ludicrous and unneccessary. Buy a water filter and drink from that if you have to but stop with the hundreds of plastic water bottles filled with water from another state that's actually filtered tap water anyway!