Nature journaling is a personal dialogue with nature, it helps translate how we experience our place in the natural world as individuals.
When I started nature journaling it was a way to translate my sense of wonder into something physical I could look back at. A way to hold onto those moments of feeling complete awe and fascination for plants, animals and fungi. I love how we can get lost in the process of observing and documenting and have fond memories of trying to identify a specific plant purely to name it in my journal. All of a sudden I found myself wanting to know plants by their names, to know which butterfly a specific caterpillar turns into and how to successfully press plants.
For me nature journaling focuses on the details and little patterns in nature. I wasn’t just seeing a flower, but a collection of shapes and variety of colours. It taught me the importance of looking up close, that sometimes the small things in life can bring immense joy.
So what actually is nature journaling? To be honest it can be anything involving nature and a notebook. While I particularly focus on identifying and getting to know the plant and fungi world around me, you might enjoy drawing birds or landscapes more.
I always like to encourage people to use the medium that feels most natural to them, whether that’s photography, writing or illustration doesn’t really matter. If your nature journal practice feels exciting and fun, you’re more likely to continue with it long term. So when you’re starting out don’t be afraid to experiment, to ‘mess’ up and try different techniques. Some questions to ask yourself:
How much time can you spend on your journaling practice? Could I schedule time to journal?
Do I prefer to journal alone or with others, maybe a mix of both?
What excites me about nature (journaling)?
How do I translate my experience as part of the natural world?
Answers to these questions will naturally guide you to a nature journaling that fits your needs and interests.
Find more of Johanna’s beautiful work on her website eumycota.com, Instagram and YouTube. Her podcast is called Inevitable Change and you can listen to it here. Her nature journaling classes can be found on Skillshare.