Nothing is “Normal”
What We Have to Learn from Flora and Fungi
By Wendy Hollender, with Emet Lipson
As I spend time drawing and learning from fungi and flora, I’m reminded again and again: diversity isn’t just beautiful — it’s essential. Nature grows in countless forms, and our lives depend on the cooperation of lives that are wildly different from one another.
Different Strokes for Different Seeds
How do you survive? (Hint: Part of the answer is plants!*)
*For starters, plants turn sunlight into sugar and magically create the air we breathe. We could literally not exist without them! They deserve our gratitude and love.
I watch my garden like some folks watch TV–each plant, a unique character in their own little reality show–like “The Real World: Garden Edition.” From dandelions to dahlias, tomatoes to tulips, marigolds to mugwort… they all just want to keep their species, their families, alive. They evolve and build relationships with other lives around them to give themselves the best chance of survival. They grow and change so that their next generation of seeds can flourish.
Plants have wildly different ways of achieving this same goal, and that’s essential! Each fruit, flower, and leaf contributes in its own way, creating an ecosystem where difference is more than accepted — it’s required.
That’s not just a nice metaphor. Genetic diversity helps a forest survive disease. Multiple pollinators mean more food gets grown. More kinds of relationships lead to stronger roots, wider shade, and richer soil.
When we listen to the natural world, we learn how to support one another because of our differences, not in spite of them.
OBSERVE-ational Drawing
What do you notice?
When I draw a flower, I start by looking closely. I trace its contour, note its curves and basic structures. Each line I draw says, you are worthy of being seen just as you are.
The key to observational drawing is learning to look closely, to observe. When we “listen with our eyes” and zoom in on the details, we start to question everything we were taught was “normal.”
We can unlearn narrow categories. We can choose curiosity over control. And when we do, we make more room — in our gardens, in our sketchbooks, and in our hearts.
Queer in Every Corner
Different by Design
Nature is full of queerness — in its original, joyful sense of not fitting into tidy boxes.
Clownfish can change sex depending on the needs of their community.
Fungi like Schizophyllum commune have over 23,000 mating types, and they’re all compatible with each other.
Some plants, like the striped maple, can change sex from year to year depending on environmental conditions.
There are flowers that carry both “male” and “female” parts. Some self-pollinate, others wait for the wind, or a bee, or a hummingbird. Some need no partner at all. All of them contribute, and all of them are necessary to sustain life on this planet.
Read more in our post Plant Pride: Celebrating Diversity.
Listen to Nature–We All Belong
The secret is just to BE
There is no such thing as a “normal” plant, or mushroom, or person. The world is full of life that is strange / odd / different / interesting, and every individual’s experience is different. Everything in nature (including us!) is weird in its own way, and those differences makes life possible. As long as we practice beginners mind, we can learn, grow, and change, just like the rest of the natural world.
Let this summer be your invitation to thrive in the ways only you can. And to trust that your uniqueness makes the whole world stronger. Brighten the world with your creations, embrace your style and celebrate your progress.
Anyone can draw… yes, even you!
The “secret” to “great” art isn’t in technique or supplies, but in joy, practice, and low expectations. Be curious, not critical. Follow your passions, and let yourself be fully human, flaws and all. We are nature, perfect in our imperfections.
Our favorite way to get to know nature is to observe it, befriend it, and draw it. Join us as we look closely and paint one piece of plant at a time. Click below to see all of the ways you can learn to draw with us and celebrate the wild beauty all around us. 🌈
