There are lots of ways to practice curiosity while you’re outside and in motion. Here are a few ideas:
1. fill in the blank
With this activity, you listen (or, you hear without trying, which is usually the case for me) for fragments of conversation from other people on the trail and try to imagine what the next words would be. I often hear unfinished bits of conversation as I run near others and I wonder what they were talking about or how they finished the sentence that I only heard the first half of. It’s fun, entertaining, a good way to use your imagination, and might lead to a story or a poem.
A recent example from my movement log: june 22, 2022
About a mile and a half into my run, I overheard one woman walker say to another: “I mean, I wasn’t arrogant or anything, I just said ______.” I was past them before I could hear what she said. What did she say? I’ll never know, but I can imagine.
2. 10 things you wonder about (today, this week, while moving…)
Make a list of 10 questions you have about where you’re moving, or that come to you as you’re moving. Pick 1 or 2 to reflect on further.
3. Name important spots on your route, or name the people you frequently encounter when you’re moving
Come up with names for some important parts of your route. Here are some of mine: the old stone steps; the tunnel of trees; the double-bridge; the ancient boulder with the stacked stones; the cottonwood three; and my favorite, the welcoming oaks.
Or, come up with names for the people you encounter. Here are a few of mine:
the Daily Walker (he is there every time I’m out running)
Mr. Morning! (he always greets me with an enthusiastic, Morning!)
Santa Claus (he has a long, white beard)
Mr. Holiday (I always seem to see him on holidays — Happy Fourth!)
the little old lady in the straw hat
4. Go on a wonder
Start your walk or run with the question: what do I wonder about? Find something that makes you curious as you move. As part of your log entry, explore that question. Find some answers and ask more questions. Learn something new. Search on the Poetry Foundation for poems that relate to what you’re curious about.
6. a specific wonder: How do I know it rained?
note: I came up with this one last week when I went out for a run after it rained.
One morning, you go out for a run. You haven’t checked the weather or been outside yet today, but you know it rained. How do you know? Make a list of 10 things you observe that serve as evidence that it recently rained.
7. Inspired by Robin Wall Kimmerer and her discussion of the textures on her walk, make a list of 10 Textures You Noticed as you moved. You could also do: 10 Surfaces I Moved Over
8. Make a list of 10 living things you noticed, then create collective names for each of them.
Check out this list of collective names, if you need some inspiration, or reread the poems by A Nezhukumatathil and JD Lanham.