A recent conversation with a colleague caused me to reflect on how we each balance the role of technology and nature in our lives. A book she suggested, “Last Child in the Woods” explores the increasing divide between young people and the natural world as well as the environmental, social, psychological and spiritual implications of that change. Increasing research reveals the necessity of contact with nature for healthy child and adult development. The catch phrase is “nature-deficit disorder.”

Daily I struggle keeping up with increasing emails and social media posts. How do I balance staying in touch with friends, keeping abreast of the news, responding to varied correspondence, but most importantly, tuning into self. Nature has always played a major role in my life. As a young child my imagination was nourished by participation in outdoor games, climbing rocks, wading in the local brook and exploring my neighborhood off the beaten path. Technology and the Internet have opened new worlds to us, but in doing so, what do we miss and how is our behavior impacted? Has technology simplified our life or made it more complicated? How do we strike the balance between the two?

This body of work illustrates a “Balancing Act” on two levels: first a visual balance between lines, space, shapes, color and textures. Proportion, unity, emphasis, variety and harmony solidify each composition. On a second level the art illustrates the equilibrium necessary to balance our interactions between the circuitry of our brain, a computer motherboard and Mother Nature.

Interface: a point where two systems meet and interact; a device or program enabling a user to communicate with a computer

Circuitry: a path between two or more points along which an electrical current can be carried; the network of interconnected neurons in the nervous system and especially the brain