Walking with Jen Lowthrop, happiness and nature champion
The eternal optimist on walking, writing and looking for joy and hope in a heavy world
“The world is heavy right now and I’m working to find the joy and hope amongst it all.”
Jen Lowthrop is a force of nature. She’s so entrepreneurial, energised and enthusiastic that you can’t help feel a renewed sense of optimism after chatting with her.
In life and work, she wears many different hats. She’s worked for charities, walked to raise money to help protect nature, and founded a digital training and consultancy agency, Feel Good Do Good, to help make organisations happier.
Jen and I met as participants on a Change in Nature facilitation training course. During our week of living, sleeping and learning outdoors, where we also did a complete digital detox, we got to know each other a bit and discovered a shared connection through walking and writing. She also took our group through a laughing yoga exercise and every time I think of her I’m reminded of how deliciously ridiculous it felt and how we ended up laughing so much I had a stitch in my stomach for the rest of the day. It was also great to connect with someone who’s worn lots of hats, had a varied career, and has an interesting story to tell as a result. And I’m really happy to be able to share it with you all here.
Ey up, Jen – welcome to The Writer’s Walk. Please tell our readers about yourself
I live in Matlock on the edge of the Peak District, which is where I grew up. I’ve travelled a lot and lived in York and London in England, and California and New Jersey in America, but somehow ended up back home. I wouldn’t have expected it when I was young, but right now there is nowhere else I want to live.
My work is varied and ever changing. I grew up with two entrepreneurial parents, so after a few years working in the charity and education sector I went freelance, now over 10 years ago. In that time I’ve done a lot of different things from managing a cafe, to being an agile project manager, to a travel blogger, to a UX designer, to happiness trainer, to facilitator, to writer, to strategy consultant. The list goes on.
I also own and run a small coworking space, Coworking Corner, which brings with it a whole host of other job titles. I’m currently developing my nature facilitation side of the business and have recently started my Substack Where the Wild Things Work.
I love variety. My work and skills are always evolving and no two weeks are the same.
You’re the Chair of Trustees for the Peak District National Park Foundation. Can you share a bit about the charity and its work, your role and how you got involved?
The Peak District National Park Foundation is a fundraising charity that was set up to raise money to support our National Park. We bring in money which then goes straight back out again to projects around climate mitigation, habitat restoration, accessible pathways and connecting more people and communities to nature.
I’ve been Chair since we started in 2018 and have absolutely loved it. I’ve been a trustee and Chair of various charities over the years and when my partner saw this one advertised I knew I had to apply. I’ve learnt a lot more about how our National Parks are run and feel more passionate than ever about the importance of access for all in our green spaces. Nature brings so many benefits to us all. Though I know I am preaching to the converted with you :)
You’re a certified happiness trainer – hat tip for having the best job title ever – can you tell me a bit more about that?
Haha! I do love this title. I did a happiness training course a few years ago and have enjoyed sharing workshops and training with people alongside using the skills I learnt myself. It links really closely with my nature facilitation work too. I know I’m happiest when out on a walk in nature.
”I’ve learnt a lot more about how our National Parks are run and feel more passionate than ever about the importance of access for all in our green spaces. Nature brings so many benefits to us all.”
You’ve done some really long walks for charity, including ‘A Walk In The Parks’ where you hiked 1000 miles across 10 UK National Parks in 10 weeks, raising more than £10k for the Peak District National Park Foundation along the way. What challenges did you face and did they change, or enhance, your relationship with walking and nature?
Cows and blisters! They were my two main challenges. I had a couple of scary run-ins with cows and I lost count of the number of blisters. I still haven’t mastered the art of not getting blisters, I think I have tried everything, but always open to ideas.
It sounds a cliche but I do think all that time outside changed me. I had so many moments where I thought ‘Yes, this is what I am meant to be doing’ and feeling truly content and happy. I did earn a small amount along my hike through my blog and brand partnerships, but sadly not enough to live off, so I haven’t mastered the art of hiking forever yet. I tried to persuade my partner we should sell up and just go for a walk and see how long we could keep going, but he wasn’t convinced.
You can read a bit more about my hike on my blog She Gets Around.
What advice can you share for anyone wanting to take on their own hiking challenge?
My main piece of advice is that our bodies are capable of far more than we think. There were definitely a few people who didn’t think I would manage it, including myself. But determination and my body got me through. My physio helped with a training plan and her advice was ‘you will do it whatever, but training will make it more enjoyable’ I took my training seriously and built up my mileage over a period of weeks. That said, I never did anything close to what I did on the actual hike, but I really do think the training helped.
“All that time outside changed me. I had so many moments where I thought ‘Yes, this is what I am meant to be doing’ and feeling truly content and happy.”
You often walk with your rescue dog, Cookie (who’s adorable, by the way). What challenges and joys does that bring?
Cookie is the best. I honestly couldn’t have done my big hike without her. But in many ways she made the hike harder. The cows probably wouldn’t have been so inquisitive if she hadn’t been there, and finding dog friendly places to stay made things more tricky and expensive. I also had to carry all her food and kit which made my bag heavier. However, all of those things were worth it. She had to go home for a week when it was too hot and she got a thorn in her paw. I missed her so much. I realised how much I talked to her. We became really close on the hike and looked out for each other.
You’ve been writing a travel and hiking blog since 2011. How do you balance your adventures with time for writing?
I still haven’t quite mastered the mythical balance in freelance life and managing so many different projects and roles. Some days I feel I have it sorted and then it all falls apart again. On my hike I planned on writing in the evenings, but I had completely underestimated how tired I would be. Most days I finished hiking, ate an early dinner and went to bed.
In day to day life I tend to separate where I write and where I do my other work. Last summer I renovated our shed into a writing shed and I love it there. It currently doesn’t have heating or power though, so I haven’t used it as much over the winter.
“I love variety. My work and skills are always evolving and no two weeks are the same.”
What role does walking play in your writing life?
I get some of my best ideas when I’m walking. I can write entire articles or blog posts in my head. Then I sit down and it all disappears! I have a lot of voice notes in my phone from my hike. I’m in the very early stages of writing a book about ‘A Walk in the Parks’ and I’m looking forward to listening back to my ramblings.
What’s your walking style?
Happy Hiker
Reluctant Rambler
Sunday Stroller
Wild Weekender
I would definitely say Happy Hiker. Though that wasn’t always the case. I still sometimes have to drag myself out, but I can honestly say I have never regretted a hike.
“I get some of my best ideas when I’m walking. I can write entire articles or blog posts in my head. Then I sit down and it all disappears!”
Headphones on or head in the clouds when you’re hiking?
I thought I would listen to loads of podcasts on my hike but I listened to a grand total of two! I love a podcast while walking, but walking on my usual routes around home versus completely new places I don’t know is very different. I find I want to have my wits about me and prefer to listen to nature along the way… and talk to Cookie.
That said, I did a loop walk the other day and listened to an Action for Happiness episode about Finding Hope in Difficult Times. It was just what I needed to listen to. The world is heavy right now and I’m working to find the joy and hope amongst it all. Podcasts like this one definitely help.
Can you tell me about the most memorable walk you’ve ever done?
If I say the whole 1000 miles that would probably be cheating right? One of my most entertaining days was when my friends Andy and Gosia joined me with their two kids. I had told them the route but there were crossed wires and apparently two different ‘coastal routes’ in Exmoor National Park. They’d brought a double buggy and were sure it would be fine. What followed was an entertaining few hours of hiking along a very narrow coastal route, lifting the buggy over styles, pushing up steep paths and making sure we didn’t drop the kids down into the sea.
I’ve honestly never laughed so much. It was funny I promise. When we made it to the end there was a sign that said ‘Coastal Path’ and ‘Rugged Coastal Path’. You can guess which one we took. My friends were great and said they enjoyed it and it beat spending a Sunday sitting on the sofa at home. Definitely a memorable one for us all. I just hope I haven’t put the kids off walks for life!
“I sometimes have to drag myself out, but I can honestly say I have never regretted a hike.”
If you could take a walk with anyone, real or fictional, alive or gone, who would it be? And why?
This might sound wild but right now I think I would say Donald Trump. Stay with me… I truly believe spending time in nature changes us and sometimes we need to keep our ‘enemies closer’. Probably wildly naive but I would love to see if I could perhaps change his decisions on things. Especially the recent sackings of National Park Rangers in America… though there are lots more things to talk about with him. What can I say… I am an optimist!
One word round
One thing you always take with you on a walk?
Blister plastersOne word to describe how walking makes you feel?
ContentOne word to describe your work as a charity trustee?
Varied
One last thing before I let you get back to your hike – can you share a walking-inspired writing prompt for our readers?
Write a short story or poem from the perspective of your feet on a walk.
Thanks so much for chatting with me, Jen. I feel buoyed up by your optimism and enthusiasm – and inspired by your ability to listen calmly to people who hold opposing views to yours. I’m not sure I’d have the courage to walk with Donald Trump, but I do think that if we stop listening to each other then we’re only going to widen the divides rather than find the common ground that connects us. Walking with someone in nature can open up conversations that might never happen online or in a boardroom – as I constantly keep discovering through The Writer’s Walk. So thank you for that reminder.
And I’m glad to hear that I’m not alone in writing entire pieces in my head when I walk but then not writing them down! I love your idea of using voice notes to get around that – it’s a great tip that I think will help many of our readers, too.
If you want to keep up with Jen’s adventures, you can subscribe to her new Substack Where the Wild Things Work and follow her on Instagram. Oh, and if you have any words of wisdom on how to navigate cows and blisters, please let us know!
Happy walking and writing until next time,
Sarah
More from The Writer’s Walk
If you enjoyed hearing Jen’ story you might also enjoy the interview I had with Barrie Thomson of Feast and Fables, who shared the superpower we can all tap into: encouragement.
