Rae Lang likes to go camping. If you didn’t know this you haven’t been in Woosah, haven’t soaked in the cozy vibes of a blockprinted heron fleece or pine tree patched cap. Each item in her store, each piece of art she hand carves in her studio, somehow reminds you of a quiet morning in the woods, seems to ask: what adventure will you take us on next?
So when Robb Kornoelje, owner of the Truism Center, was looking for an artist who could complement the beauty of a new nature retreat, Rae seemed like an obvious choice. In late May of 2024 Rae began painting the stunning 10ft x 40ft mural on the side of the shipping container tiny home that greets you when you first arrive at Ilex. Today we’ll be talking with Rae about her time at Ilex Forest Retreat, what it’s like to paint nature surrounded by nature, how the experience may have impacted where she is today, and much more!
“It’s kind of like when you try to remember a childhood cabin or fort… your memory isn’t just about what it looked like, it’s about how it felt…”
The Truism Center is now offering Therapeutic Nature Experiences at Ilex Forest Retreat. A unique offering within the Michigan mental health sphere, these day long nature retreats are a chance to slow down, reset, and recalibrate—with optional guidance from a licensed counselor. Learn more about Therapeutic Nature Experiences.
Hi Rae, thanks for sitting down with us. So, take me back to the first time you heard about this project. What did you think of the offer to paint a shipping container in the woods when you received it?
I got a message from a friend that said, “Hey, some friends of mine are looking to chat about painting a mural on their shipping container…can I pass along your info?”
It was an instant yes from me. I’d been wanting to get back into mural work, and shipping containers are super intriguing to me, so I was stoked and totally ready to hear more.
Did you come out to Ilex with an idea for the mural fully formed? How did that process play out?
When it came time to paint, I already had the artwork ready to project onto the container — but getting to that point was definitely a process. After chatting with Brandon and Robb and hearing about their vision, I drove up to the property to spend a day hiking and soaking in the landscape for inspiration.
From there, I sketched out three different concepts for them to choose from. They ended up picking the most playful one, which, honestly, was the direction I was secretly hoping for. I refined that design, sent it back for final approval, and then started planning out the color palette.
“The goal was something bright but still organic; colors that would pop against the natural surroundings, but still feel like they belonged there.”
I pulled my first all-nighter on-site, working from sundown to sunrise to get the design projected onto the container. That part took a good mix of creativity, improvisation, and luck. The container was too long for the projector to cover in one go, so I had to do it in halves. It took me way too long to find a level-enough spot to set the projector. I ended up rigging it with a box and some sticks as shims just to get it straight. Lining everything up was key…if it was even a little off, the whole thing would’ve looked skewed.
After I got the first half projected, it started raining hard. Luckily, I had a tarp with me, so I covered everything and took shelter inside. I actually ended up falling asleep in there and woke up just an hour before sunrise. The rain had stopped, so I ran back out, set up the projector for the second half, and finished the final lines just as the sun started coming up. It worked out perfectly in the end, but learning to use a projector out in the wilderness was definitely a first. I’m used to indoor spaces or at least a flat surface like a parking lot. It was a fun puzzle to figure out.
How would you describe the quality of your time at Ilex?
Painting at Ilex was incredibly peaceful. It didn’t feel like I was just working next to the landscape, I felt completely immersed in it, like I was creating with the land itself.
Over time, I started to notice the rhythm of the place; how the shadows shifted through the trees and moved across the container as the day went on, the different bird calls, the little critters rustling nearby. I really came to look forward to those quiet mornings… just me, the forest, and my brush.
Did you have any habits or routines in the time you spent at Ilex?
Each morning started the same way: I’d fire up my Jetboil for coffee, then while it cooled down, I’d slice up a few peaches into a bowl of yogurt with granola and a spoonful of peanut butter. My French bulldog, Waffle, was my little sidekick all week, he’d patiently wait for his favorite part of the routine: licking the peanut butter off the knife.
After breakfast, we’d take a short stroll around the property, just soaking it all in before I jumped into painting for the day.
In the evenings, I’d hop in the side-by-side and head over to the communal camp area to use the outdoor shower, something I’d actually never tried before. It ended up being one of my favorite parts of the whole experience. There was something really grounding and peaceful about ending each day like that.
Woosah is a very nature-oriented brand. What’s the interplay between your relationship with the natural world and your art?
Woosah is one of those words you say out loud and instantly feel a little lighter, like a breath you didn’t know you were holding. For me, making art and being in nature are the two things that bring me back to center. They help me feel calm and grounded, but also so alive and creatively charged.
When I create, it’s usually coming from a place of wanting to share that feeling. Sometimes I’m chasing an emotion, trying to capture a moment or mood that I hope others can connect with too. Other times, I’m pulling from something I’ve actually experienced and translating it through my art. But for me, capturing a feeling isn’t about being literal or overly polished. It’s about freedom and expressing something personal without the pressure to perfectly recreate a scene.
It’s kind of like when you try to remember a childhood cabin or fort… your memory isn’t just about what it looked like, it’s about how it felt. Maybe the trees seemed massive, the living room tiny and warm from the wood-burning stove, the birds louder than you remembered. Then, if you go back years later, it might all feel smaller, quieter…different. That’s because memory is shaped by emotion. Feelings are fleeting in real time, but they become more solid in our minds — and I love playing with that idea in my work.
It was fun to consider the memories others would make at Ilex when visiting there… the families that would make it a tradition, the feeling that they might have pulling up and seeing the bright, funky painted shipping container. My inner child was stoked to make that a reality.
How many days were you at Ilex? Were you by yourself, or with others? What was the impact of that on your experience?
I spent about a week and a half painting at Ilex in late May/early June. The ferns were just starting to pop up, and the trees were super full and green, it was such a nice time to be outside. I’d usually wake up around 6 or 7, get started on painting by 8, and go until sunset each day.
My friend Amanda came up to hang out and help a few days, which was awesome. She jumped in with filling in the yellow and orange to get things started and later helped with a third coat on some of the other colors. It was so nice to have someone to paint and chat with, and honestly, she made the whole process go way faster. The container was this really dark green, almost black, so it took 3 or 4 coats of each color to get solid coverage. On those days, we’d head over to the Bristol Party Store for ice cream and cruise around the backroads exploring.
How does nature influence mental health, in your opinion? How has this influenced your choices in life?
Nature honestly feels like medicine to me. I’ve leaned on it during some of the hardest times in my life—it helps me stay grounded and reminds me of this calm, quiet contentment. Nature doesn’t need to be fixed or improved; it just is. And something about standing under the trees or staring out over the water at the beach really brings me back to how abundant and beautiful the world is.
These days, with how much we rely on technology, it’s easy to get caught up in screen time. But for me, scrolling on my phone or being on social media does the exact opposite of what nature does, it drains me instead of filling me up.
That week I spent at Ilex really confirmed for me that I wanted to leave the city and find a few acres of my own somewhere peaceful. Fast forward a year, and I’m now living on two acres just a short walk from Lake Michigan. Waking up to that every day feels like such a gift.
Even if you’re more of a city person or don’t feel especially drawn to nature, I think it’s worth remembering that we’re still part of it.
“We are nature…not separate from it. Reconnecting with that, even in a small way, can really shift something inside.”
Obviously, this is just my take, but try walking barefoot outside sometime, or lying in the grass and watching the clouds, or even just taking a few deep, intentional breaths on a park bench. There’s a kind of subtle but powerful shift that can happen in those quiet moments.
Any special moments that stand out from your time at Ilex?
While I was painting, there was this wild sound I kept hearing every day. At first, I had no idea what it was, it sounded kind of like an old car trying to start, or a motorcycle revving, or maybe even someone dribbling a basketball really fast and loud. I could feel it in my chest, like the whole sound was vibrating through my body. It was deep and intense, and nothing like anything I’d heard before.
I started texting Brandon and Robb, trying to figure out what it could be. After some back and forth, we finally figured it out—it was a bird! A Ruffed Grouse, to be exact. The male makes this crazy “drumming” sound by beating its wings super fast to attract mates and mark its territory. I seriously couldn’t believe a bird could make a sound like that.
Once the painting was all done, my wife and kids came up to stay with me in the container, along with a few friends. We cooked out, made s’mores, told stories, it was our first real time hanging out there together, and it was so fun to see the space come to life. Definitely the start of some great memories.
If you’re interested having your own Ilex experience, you can learn more at ilexforestretreat.com. For more about The Truism Center’s Therapeutic Nature Experiences, click here.
