When was the last time something made you stop and go wow? Not a big, dramatic moment, but a tiny flash of wonder: a pattern of light on the pavement, blossom falling like snow, the feeling of sun on your skin. That’s awe. And the good news? You can find it almost anywhere.

This activity was created for our Walk + Awe workshop with artist Coco Lom. It’s a way to shift your focus, slow down, and connect to the everyday magic all around you. Inspired by Dacher Keltner’s research into awe and its effect on our nervous systems, it’s part creative exploration, part sensory reset, and a reminder that awe is often hiding in plain sight.

Activity: How to Do an Awe Walk

You’ll need:

– Paper or a sketchbook
– 1 thick pen
– 1 thin pen
– A viewfinder (optional – cut a shape into a piece of card)
– A phone (optional – for framing or photos)

1. Be present
Before you begin, take a moment to check in with your body. Notice how your feet feel. Are they warm, cold, buzzing, grounded? What do your socks or shoes feel like? Take a step and feel the ground meet you. This grounding helps your body shift into the moment.

2. Look outwards
Imagine you’re on holiday and everything is new. Look up, look down, look sideways. What catches your attention? Colours, reflections, patterns, shadows, plants, architecture? Let yourself be surprised.

3. Prompts to help you see
– What’s above you? What’s below your feet?
– Can you see any shadows or reflections?
– What shapes stand out to you?
– What do you feel drawn to?
– Is there something that makes you feel awe, a sense of wonder or surprise?
– Are there any negative spaces (the shapes between objects)?

4. Draw what you see
Use your thick pen to sketch shapes, patterns or impressions. Don’t worry about being neat. Quick drawings help capture the moment. Now switch to your thin pen. Does it feel different? Can you capture smaller details like edges or textures? Are any of them surprising to you? Make notes of any thoughts or sensations that come to mind.

5. Use your viewfinder (optional)
Use your paper viewfinder or your phone screen to zoom in or crop a part of the scene.
– What changes when you frame something?
– Try changing the distance. How does scale affect what you see?
– Can you spot compositions or patterns that you wouldn’t have noticed before?

6. Get tactile
Touch the surfaces around you. Are they smooth, rough, soft, gritty? Now draw that texture. Let your pen respond instinctively to how it feels.

7. After your walk
You don’t have to stop searching for awe once you’ve finished your walk. You can revisit it by making a quick collage from the patterns, marks and drawings you’ve just made. Cut or tear your drawings, move the pieces around, and see what new shapes or meanings appear. You can draw over the top of them or cut out coloured paper to layer new shapes. You could even turn your awe moments into a postcard and send it to a friend. A small but powerful way to share an awe moment.