My journey was to walk from Ennerdale Water and climb to the top of Pillar Rock. Wordsworth does a good job of describing this iconic crag:

You see yon precipice—it almost looks
Like some vast building made of many crags,
And in the midst is one particular rock
That rises like a column from the vale,
Whence by our Shepherds it is call’d, the Pillar.

— William Wordsworth 

Not only did poets engage with the mighty Pillar Rock, but it was also a hotspot for the early pioneers of rock climbing in the 1800s. My route took me up ‘The Old West Route’ which was first climbed in 1826, making it the first recorded rock climb in the Lakes.

Here’s my work in progress:

Answering the three Artful questions

Creativity & Culture

For me, creativity is about engaging with ‘an other’ to make something new, be it an art piece or a different way of being-in-the-world. Today I was engaging with Pillar and its history. I was alone, but I was not lonely- I felt close to my predecessors as I became a part of the place’s culture and history. 

Connectivity

Relationships can be with more than just humans, but humans are still the best for sharing a pint with!

Place

I think the more people experience the environment as something full of wonder that they are enmeshed in (rather than as an external resource), the more people will care for it as a respected and loved extension of their selves.