Building shelter, building ourselves

My wife and I are fortunate to work with young children throughout the school year. They love to construct small shelters with twigs and moss, pebbles and pine needles.

All summer the older children that attend Orca Camp are drawn to build similar structures but often on a much larger scale. There are old trees that fall partially over a cliff and our campers transform them into magical, meaningful beach houses. They get into imaginative play, with pirates, astronauts, kings, queens, dogs, cats and so forth. Without interruption these scenarios become timeless.
Why the impulse to build and create? Simple. We build and create our own selves in the process. We connect with our capacities of architect, engineer, artist, collaborating with a team or solo. We connect with the creative gifts of friends and the healing elements of nature.