How Plant Care Can Nurture Us
As part of Impact Hub Baltimore’s #RestFest2020, we’re sharing in-depth stories and thought leadership from visionary humans from within our network. Read more on how they promote wellbeing in Baltimore; their thinking on why giving ourselves permission to rest and recharge matters; as well as their go-to practices for grounding and self-care.
Reflecting on her art work, April Lewis shares that many of her pieces center her experiences as a black woman in the world. Some of April’s more recent pieces bloomed from collaborations with Mecca Lewis, her daughter, who as a filmmaker is a talented artist in her own right.
April says she “really struggled” when Mecca left for college four years ago. Despite narratives around being a young mom, April chose to embrace her experience and describes it as one of the best parts of adulthood. But with a newly empty nest, April also realized how much of her identity was built around being a mom — She hadn’t been taking care of herself as well as she knew to care for others.
Attending a self-care retreat facilitated by Nicoletta de la Brown helped crystalize April’s intention to put herself first. And gradually, she began incorporating hobbies like yoga and running into her day-to-day. Spending more time outdoors reminded April of her childhood, where she was often “the kid who stayed outside for most of the day.” They are activities that she once had little time for when actively parenting, but are now essential to her way of being.
Nurturance outside of motherhood resurfaced in April’s life when a friend gifted her a house plant one year. Although she previously had plants around her home, April says that she didn’t see herself as a “plant mom” until Mecca left. April’s plant collection eventually grew. They even made their way into her office at Open Works Baltimore, the city’s largest makerspace located in Greenmount West, where she serves as their Director of Community & Culture.
At the onset of the pandemic, Open Works rapidly reimagined operations to jumpstart production for personal protective equipment. The Open Works team and volunteers worked rewarding yet exhaustive hours as they mobilized to meet a national shortage at the local level. Amid these long days, April found herself tending to the plants around the maker space, which for a period of time were left uncared for due to statewide space closures.
“Any way you can infuse pockets of joy into work is a win”
Looking after the space’s plants continue to have a calming effect on April. At the start of every work week, April begins by watering the plants in her office and wiping down the leaves for 15 to 20 minutes. This daily practice helps bring April back to the present moment and relieves any worries about the day. April has since added a chair in a corner by her office window, which is also surrounded by an abundance of plants.
If she’s in need of recentering or inspiration, April finds she can draw this energy by being in this spot. “Sitting with my plants is usually an immediate mood boost. I’d like to think they hold on to the nurturing energy that comes from me caring for them and mirrors back that energy when I need it,” April shares.
April’s work-from-home setup is similarly cultivated with care. She’s started purchasing table cloths for her dining room table and makes flower arrangements to invite positive energy into her space. For April, there’s great freedom in having “a creative practice where it feels like there’s no pressure to produce other than for [her] own joy.”
Asked how honoring her needs improves her capacity to do community-driven work, April says “I cannot show up with my whole self to anything with an empty cup. Prioritizing what makes me feel good and whole helps me so that when I’m in meetings, it’s with the best version of myself.” Although the pandemic has at times been disorienting, one silver lining is that it has encouraged April to continue prioritizing her wholeheartedness.
Besides her plant care practices, April began holding walking meetings with the Open Works team and colleagues. April also started posting open calls via social media for lunch runs and participating as a run captain with A Tribe Called Run. Looking ahead, April’s excited to train and accomplish her longest run yet in Philadelphia alongside friends. She’s also eager for a COVID-19 vaccine to emerge and for opportunities to innovate new ways of being to unfold.
“I don’t want to go back to the way things were, so I’m definitely looking forward to figuring out what the new next normal is like.”
