FIELD NOTES

These essays sit alongside my books and illustration practice. They are an ongoing exploration of the conditions that help us grow.

They are places where I think out loud -my thinking in motion, if you like. The books I am currently creating are a quieter, distilled expression of the ideas that first begin to unfold here.

I am curious about the small moments that help us lay strong foundations for life. Illustration, teaching, movement and nature are simply some of the ways I continue to explore that question.

Some posts begin with a question. Others begin with a walk, a workshop, a conversation or a small moment that catches my attention. None of them are intended to provide all the answers.

These Field Notes are simply invitations to pause, notice and explore alongside me.

todd.kirsty@outlook.com

WHERE COURAGE LIVES

Most people see courage in brave events, barnstorming speeches and dramatic moments. But what interests me is something slightly different. Where does courage live? Where is it grown? Nature tells a far quieter story. After weeks of growing unseen beneath the earth’s surface a plant simply appears. A tiny green shoot quietly pushes gently through the soil, drawn towards the light, moving in the only direction it can, millimetre by millimetre. Small increments but always movi

kirstytodd

Jul 221 min read

WHY ROOTS MATTER BEFORE SHOOTS

We spend much of our lives looking upwards and outwards. Towards achievement and beauty. Flowers, blossom and autumn leaves catch our attention. Yet nature quietly reminds us that healthy growth begins somewhere we rarely look. Below the surface. Very few people stop to admire roots, yet this is where stability begins. If I were to borrow a lesson from nature, I would suggest that the act of noticing enriches the soil in which our roots grow. Tiny moments of noticing nature,

kirstytodd

Jun 301 min read

WHAT QUIET EVENTUALLY REVEALS

WHEN NOTICING BECOMES PERSONAL Quiet is not a place, a technique or an exercise. It is a relationship we have with ourselves. The challenge is rarely about finding a quiet place, but what we do when we arrive there. Quiet asks something much more difficult than slowing down. It requires us to stay long enough to hear what is going on inside. To listen a little more closely and to notice what sits beneath the noise. Quiet is not an escape from ourselves. It is an introduction.

kirstytodd

Jun 182 min read

QUIET ASKS MORE OF US THAN WE THINK

WHY STILLNESS ISN'T ALWAYS IMMEDIATELY CALMING Everyone has quiet within them, but it is often hidden beneath layers of activity, distraction and habit. We tend to imagine quiet as something peaceful. We imagine stillness and calm arriving together when we stop doing things. In reality, it is often more complicated than that. When the distractions soften, we suddenly become aware of things we have been moving quickly past all day, all week or even all year. A head leaning for

kirstytodd

Jun 152 min read

CHILDREN NEED SPACE TO PAUSE

We often feel our children need constant stimulation. Something to press, swipe, watch or react to. That every quiet moment should be filled somehow. But we do not always show them how to simply sit with a moment. Children also need times where nothing is required of them except attention. Many of the great children’s illustrators understood quiet and they understood that children also need space. Beatrix Potter gave children small, attentive worlds. Characters washing, waiti

kirstytodd

May 181 min read

SOMETIMES QUIET ARRIVES IN THE MIDDLE OF LIFE

We often imagine quiet as something separate from life. Found in early mornings or in remote places. But sometimes quiet arrives in the middle of ordinary things. Waiting for the kettle to boil. Sitting at traffic lights. Watching rain move across a window. Standing in a queue without reaching for your phone. The world carries on. But for a moment, it asks nothing from you. That seems to be the difference. Quiet is not always about silence. Sometimes it is simply the feeling

kirstytodd

May 181 min read

A drawn image of wren in beautiful countryside.

A WREN-SIZED DOORWAY

This morning a wren landed on the stone wall outside my window.It flicked its wings once, twice, then stayed absolutely still — as if holding a thought it didn’t want to lose. I stopped what I was doing and held still with it. That tiny pause felt like a doorway into the day. Moments like that are where my work begins.

kirstytodd

Dec 11, 20252 min read

FIELD NOTES

FIELD NOTES ​

These essays sit alongside my books and illustration practice. They are an ongoing exploration of the conditions that help us grow.

They are places where I think out loud -my thinking in motion, if you like. The books I am currently creating are a quieter, distilled expression of the ideas that first begin to unfold here.

WHERE COURAGE LIVES

WHY ROOTS MATTER BEFORE SHOOTS

WHAT QUIET EVENTUALLY REVEALS

QUIET ASKS MORE OF US THAN WE THINK

CHILDREN NEED SPACE TO PAUSE

SOMETIMES QUIET ARRIVES IN THE MIDDLE OF LIFE

A WREN-SIZED DOORWAY

FIELD NOTES