Olivia James reflects on her recent Hatching residency at The Nest.

In recent times I have been drawn back to analogue ways of working and life, without pressure or restricting myself (I still love the convenience, immediacy and fun technology brings and the worlds and connections that are discovered, I won’t be throwing away my mobile phone or pausing my social media any time soon!). I knew that in my first week at The Nest I wanted to not use my laptop – be without the distraction and temptation of doing or looking at other things. I arrived with pen and paper and an open mind to approach the 10 days ahead flexing my writing muscles; quite literally using hand and finger muscles.

Quite quickly I realised that I wanted to make something tangible. Inspired and heartened by the love for nature the Talking Birds team had, I picked up my (analogue) camera and set about taking some pictures within a 5 minute walk of the studios. I want my work to encourage people to slow down and notice what’s near to them and that nature doesn’t have to mean getting a flight and boats to see Puffins and whales but to connect with the amazing and beautiful natural world we have in the towns and cities of the West Midlands. I got into a rhythm of journaling, writing a short story, working on the photography project and ending the day with a reflection and short poem or poems. I have yet to look back at any of the writing I did over my time spent at The Nest but I’m excited to go back and read it and see what I can build on. The process itself was hugely enjoyable and relaxing. Breaking it up with the photography helped my focus and keep me motivated.

Photos taken near the entrance from the road

I narrowed my photos down to 26 (from 72) and printed them out. I develop my own negatives using non-toxic developers. Usually this is Rosemary from my garden but given the time of year I had to use a coffee mixture. I was very happy with the result of many of them. I really like that black and white images can give an almost fairytale like quality and encourage the viewer to create their own narratives or meanings of what is in front of them.

There were many things I truly valued and appreciated during the residency. The wonderful conversations and feeling of potential collaborations and future collaborators, the sharing of skills, ideas, equipment (and food). I will forever be grateful and thankful to the team for their warmth, flexibility and easy going atmosphere they create. They’ve created a warm and private space for people to explore at ease and freely.

I will take forward making the time and space to write and create without distraction or fear of distraction. Freeing my mind and not imposing limits and expectations has been incredibly liberating.