About Other Ways to Walk

Rachel Howfield Massey is an artist and wellbeing practitioner who invents artistic prompts, guides and invitations to boost wellbeing through connecting to nature. Her cards and prints are whimsical and quirky whilst being evidence-led, rooted in research that shows nature connection can reduce stress, improve sleep and boost the immune system. Rachel founded Other Ways to Walk in 2017 when she turned ideas in her sketchbooks into cards to help other people connect to nature. She has developed her practice through forest immersion training, a brief foray into animal tracking (difficult and fascinating) - and a lot of time spent observing nature and following her own fascination. She works and walks with experts including medical herbalists, artists, researchers, scientists and ecologists. She frequently walks solo with only a notebook and flask for company - it's the only way to really notice the smells, flavours, colours, textures and sounds or the landscape and allow it to work it's magic. Rachel is a qualified Mindfulness Instructor and Forest Guide and a member of Royal Society of Public Health Arts and Health Special Interest Group. She lives in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire and when she’s not wandering in the woods she works in her garden shed studio. Read their story