Arizona Muse on ‘A Life of Additionality Rather Than Subtraction’

The Regeneration Issue is here. To mark its launch, guest editor Arizona Muse meditates on the ‘collective awakening’ taking place about our role on this Earth, the importance of living in harmony with nature, and how this can enrich and enliven our own experiences.

Guest Editor Arizona Muse on the Regeneration Issue

In the midst of our busy lives, as we stand beneath the towering buildings of our cities clutching devices that put the sum of human knowledge at our fingertips, does disquiet stir within us all? A whisper, urging us to look around and clearly see the world we have shaped; is this really how we’re supposed to be living?

We have become strangers in our own land, cut off from what once sustained us. Even the Earth herself is rebelling against our relentless pursuit of progress. In a world overflowing with remarkable technological advancements and connectivity, we have become disconnected from ourselves, each other and the natural world. 

But I feel a collective awakening is taking place. A realisation that, beyond the concrete and convenience we have built around us, we are born from the Earth to which we must return. We can rediscover what it means to live in harmony with nature, to tread lightly upon her surface, to replenish rather than deplete, to take only what we need, and to give back in return. 

However, living this way doesn’t mean making our worlds smaller or denying ourselves life’s pleasures. Throughout this carefully curated issue, we peer into the lives of people who are already doing it and sharing just how enriched they feel as a result. And that, actually, it invites abundance, fun and purpose. A life of additionality rather than subtraction.

There’s a shift happening when we think of ‘luxury’. More and more, there’s a desire for a lifestyle that respects the delicate balance of our planet. A regenerative, connected and fulfilling existence – one that honours the Earth as our home. That, to me, is true luxury. The writing, writers and people featured in this issue tell us, through stories of their own experience, why connecting back to nature is so important…

Lily Cole wearing Skydiamond, photographed by Matthew Shave. Fashion Director: Nicole Smallwood

‘Nature’s journey is slow, but its success is fast. Just imagine if we began our day from this observatory position instead of the shrill alarm and chaos of our immediate daily life,’ reflects Fee Drummond, Country & Town House’s Editor-at-Wild, as she muses on slowing down, finding solitude and grounding in nature.

‘We think nature is out there and that we are in here. The first thing we have to do is disarm this separation. We are in nature, not apart from, but a part of it. The more we understand that, the better we are able to embrace the opportunities staring us in the face,’ meditates Christiana Figueres, the visionary behind the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, as we delve into her fascinating journey.

For the cover story, I had the pleasure of sharing life experiences and hopes for the future in a conversation with Lily Cole. We discussed how our childhoods influenced who we are today, the impact modelling had on our lives and the joy of returning home to ourselves.

Today, it feels like a radical act to live as nature intended, to live a life of simplicity in a world driven by complexity. But in the end, it is only by returning to our roots that we can hope to find our way home.

Find out more about Arizona’s work with DIRT Charity