Looking back at our old journals can show how our practice has developed and remind us of techniques we would like to use again. Sometimes we can even answer our own nature questions! For today’s prompt, we will revisit our past journal pages and see what they can teach us.

I would love to hear about your experience looking back at old journals. Leave a comment below this post over on the Journaling With Nature website. 

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Using her experiences in the natural world as inspiration, Naomi creates detailed fine art with the aim of connecting people with wildlife. She is passionate about using art to help support wildlife conservation projects around the world.

Listen to hear more about:

• The beautiful landscapes and wildlife of Naomi’s nearby nature.
• The importance of the ocean for Naomi’s wellbeing and art practice.
• The steps involved in creating a realistic seascape.  
• Naomi’s painting space and artistic process.
• The importance of colour. 
• Capturing the life of an animal subject through the eyes. 
• The relationship between time spent in nature and a motivation to protect wildlife.
• Ways that artists can use their art to make a difference in the world. 
• Naomi’s experiences participating in the International Tall Ships Race. 
• The role that sketchbooks play in Naomi’s art practice.
• How play can inform our work. 

Find Naomi’s artwork on her website www.naomijenkinart.com and on Instagram @naomijenkinart. To find out more about the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation click here. 

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The traditional Japanese calendar divides the year into 72 microseasons, each representing a period of change in the natural world. Pay attention to the small changes that happen in your region and see if you can identify some microseasons of your own.

This week we are experimenting with an idea inspired by Mary Jo Hoffman, which is to explore the microseasons in our own part of the world. You can find the seasons that Mary Jo has identified for her own region in her book STILL: The Art of Noticing. 

I would love to hear about the microseasons you identify in your own region. Leave a comment below this episode. 

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Every day for over twelve years, Mary Jo has posted a photograph of nature on her blog STILL. More than just a daily creative project, STILL has offered deep insights and connection to place.

Listen to hear more about:

• A childhood spent exploring nature.
• How an aptitude for mathematics led Mary Jo into a career as an aerospace engineer.
• The beginnings of STILL blog and the initial parameters of the project. 
• Fitting a one-a-day project into an already busy family life. 
• Being in a state of ‘creative noticing’. 
• Going deeper rather than wider in her exploration of nature.
• The 72 micro-seasons of Mary Jo’s bioregion.  
• The importance of play. 
• How engineering and mathematics influence her creative work. 
• The family’s travels in France. 
• The fusion of life and art. 
• Falling in love with the landscape wherever you are. 

Visit stillblog.net to explore Mary Jo’s incredible project. You can also connect with Mary Jo on Instagram @maryjohoffman. Find STILL: The Art of Noticing here.

Steve Hoffman’s memoir A Season For That: Lost and Found in the Other Southern France can be found here.

Keep in touch with Mary Jo’s work by signing up to the STILL newsletter here. 

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Bringing play into our nature journaling practice is an invitation to lean towards joy and freedom and away from perfectionism and self-criticism. Start your journaling sessions with play – embrace all of your silly, wonky, imperfect, life-filled lines and have fun!

Over on the Journaling With Nature YouTube channel I have a playlist where you can follow along with different exercises to loosen up and play:

Creative Play for Nature Journalers

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Listen to hear more about:

• How Kaddi came to nature journaling.
• Kaddi’s ideal day in nature.
• How nature was a solace for Kaddi during a challenging time.
• The growing nature journaling community in Germany and other German speaking regions in Europe.
• The regular in-person and online nature journaling gatherings that are happening in Germany.
• The importance of giving supportive feedback.
• Starting a nature journal club in your area.
• Travelling nature journals.
• Nature journaling as meditation.
• Kaddi’s hopes and plans for nature journaling in the future.

Follow Kaddi on Instagram @kaddikaracho and on YouTube @NatureJournalette.

Some of the groups and workshops mentioned can be found here:

https://wildniswind.de/

• Nature Journaling Deutschland website
• Nature Journaling Deutschland group on Facebook
• German nature journal clubs map
• Weekly online sessions of Nature Journaling and Tea and Nature Journaling and Coffee can be found on the website of Verena Hillgärtner: Wieder Wilder Werden.
• Wild Wonder Educators Workshop
• Wildniswind

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Today’s prompt comes from a challenge created by last week’s guest, Sofia Gazarian. Sofia’s idea was to draw or paint the same bird each month for a year. Through this process you will be able to watch your own progress as you develop your skills of drawing birds. You can control the variables by using the same time limit for your sketch, as well as using the same reference photo, materials and paper size. Give it a go if it sounds like a fun challenge to you!

To find inspiration from Sofia’s One Year Bird page, visit her Instagram @printyourbird. If you post your own page on Instagram, use the hashtag #oneyearbird so Sofia can see your birds!

Find royalty free bird photos:

Unsplash - https://unsplash.com/
Pixabay - https://pixabay.com/

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Sofia has a passion for birdwatching. While cultivating a daily sketching habit, Sofia has learned that you can find birds and make amazing discoveries even in the heart of a big city.

Listen to hear more about:

• Making personal discoveries in nature. 
• How Sofia went from selling vintage bird art to drawing and painting her own birds. 
• The bird illustrators that inspire Sofia.
• How a birding challenge helped Sofia make many discoveries her local parks.
• Using a monocular for capturing bird photos on your phone.
• Tips for beginner birdwatchers.
• Keeping a bird journal.
• Drawing the same bird each month to track your artistic progress.
• The calming effect of drawing birds.

Illustrators who have inspired Sofia’s drawing:

John James Audubon
George Edwards
John and Elizabeth Gould
Ohara Koson
David Sibley
John Muir Laws
Danny Gregory 
Felix Scheinberger

Apps that Sofia uses while birdwatching:

Merlin Bird ID
BirdNET
eBird

To follow along with Sofia’s bird drawing journey find her on Instagram @printyourbird.

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Today we are exploring the corners of our environment, the neglected places that we do not normally visit. There are nature stories here too. Take some time to nature journal the things that you notice in a place that might have been overlooked for a while.

While I was playing with my son in the garden, I came across a corner that we never usually visit. It made me think that there are neglected parts of our environment that also have stories to tell. This week I will be nature journaling in a corner of my space, and I invite you to do the same. If you do not have a garden, seek out a corner of your local park, or even a corner of your home. What do you find there? What nature stories are playing out in these neglected spaces?

I would love to see what you find in your local environment. Leave a comment below this post on the Journaling With Nature website. 

I plan to create more videos over on YouTube. If you are interested to see these prompts as videos, head over there and subscribe to stay in touch. 

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Jarod is a poet, author and podcaster who writes intimately about the appreciation of nature, the interconnectedness of all things, and the complex experience of being human.

Listen to hear more about:

• Jarod’s first experiences writing poetry in nature. 
• The wildlife Jarod encounters living between a park and a cemetery.
• The interconnections between all living and non-living parts of our world. 
• Remembering that we are part of nature. 
• The Cryptonaturalist Podcast and finding deeper love for nature through fictional worlds. 
• The joy of living in a world of unanswered questions. 
• Finding balance between destructive and constructive mindsets.
• Jarod’s new book Something in the Woods Loves You. 
• Depression and how nature can be a balm during these times.
• The value of delight and whimsy. 

Find out more about Jarod and his work on his website https://www.jarodkanderson.com/ or connect on Instagram @cryptonaturalist.

You can pre-order a copy of Something in the Woods Loves You here.

Listen to Jarod’s podcast here: The Cryptonaturalist. 

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Thanks for listening!