I went on a Creative Swim Day with viviennerickman.co.uk and this is one of the photos she took of me during the swim. Plunging into water in the environment as opposed to an indoor pool is just magical. And this lake in Wales was about as good as it gets. Vivienne took me and three others on a two hour hike up the side of a mountain from Llanberis to emerge at a beautiful lake.
Here it is – Llyn Dwythwch. The walk nearly killed me but strangely today my legs no longer feel like jelly but stronger. Maybe I should take up hiking up and down hills. Although thankfully there aren’t that many hills in Suffolk.
But back to the swim
I actually did a bit of sketching too which Vivienne sneakily documented. She encouraged us to take whatever we wanted from the experience. A Fine Arts graduate herself, she has a passion for water as do I. Two of the other members of the group on the day began to wander about beside the lake and a calm almost spiritual atmosphere was created. The fourth participant went back into the water for more while Vivienne kept an ever watchful eye on us all, simultaneously making notes in her creative writing journal. She undergoes regular training for her courses making us all feel secure and relaxed. I could never have contemplated this venture alone
I came across Vivienne through reading ‘Another Escape’, which I bought at Tate Modern after seeing the incredible Olafur Eliasson exhibition recently. Do buy it – it’s a wonderfully inspiring collection of essays and stories. If you have even a small interest in water and the current state of the environment it will resonate with you. So much of Viv’s thinking and philosophy chimed with my thoughts. I just had to meet her and take part in one of her workshops. It didn’t disappoint in any way.
Drifting in the deep peaty- black water and floating on my back with the blue sky above and tiny rippling sounds around my head was absolute bliss. If I can capture just some of these sensations when I start to paint I’ll be happy.
And I’m sure I’ll return to this beautiful place for more.
