The Clearing with Katherine May Jackie Morris & Robert Macfarlane ‘dream of nest’
11 snips
Apr 30, 2026 
Robert Macfarlane, writer who maps landscapes and language, and Jackie Morris, painter celebrated for nature-focused illustrations, muse on rest and making. They riff on bird-filled Cairngorm refuges, imaginative sea voyages to Earthsea-like realms, wild knitting, field painting and the alchemy of words and images. Laughter, stones, craft and the care of attention thread through their conversation.
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Jackie's Annual Creative Cocoon Retreat
- Jackie Morris lives in what she calls a cocoon and organises annual creative retreats where everyone works alone in the day and shares food and ideas in the evening.
- She uses these retreats to drop home noise and provoke fresh thoughts, bringing knitting and sketching practices.
Rest As Nest In The Cairngorm Refuge
- Robert Macfarlane likens rest to nesting, framing rest as trust and intimate shelter rather than escape.
- He describes a real refuge in the Cairngorms that looks like a heap of stones and functions as a cocoon among ptarmigan and eagles.
Use Rituals To Empty The Head And Invite Ideas
- Use easy physical rituals like walking, knitting, or doodling to empty the head and invite ideas rather than forcing creativity.
- Jackie practices 'wild knitting' on hilltops and carries old tools and typewriters to connect with lineage.
