Introduction to Nature Journaling
I’d like to introduce you to Nature Journaling. Are you feeling a bit disconnected? Life moving too fast? Do you feel anxious and stressed? Both spending time in nature and drawing can help you to slow down, decrease your stress levels, and even lower your blood pressure! Bonus — it’s FUN!
Me? I have always had a passion for nature and drawing. Nature Journaling was the perfect solution for enjoying both at once. I’m so excited to share this with you. Keeping a nature journal can be an amazing adventure!
Are you ready?
What is a Nature Journal Anyway?
The simplest answer: it’s an individual’s exploration of the nature around them. This exploration can be expressed in several ways:
- Drawings — this part goes without saying. It’s what most of us think of when we think about a nature journal. I know — you’ve been looking at other people’s nature journal pages online and you’re intimidated. Me too! Honestly, though, it’s social media folks! People only put the best of the best online — including artists! I promise that you CAN learn to draw the things you find intriguing in nature!
- Writing– can take many forms
- Metadata — Put the date, time, a quick note about the weather. That’s called ‘metadata’ and it’s science! This allows you to keep a running record from year to year about weather patterns as well as the plants and animals you encounter.
- Scientific names — you’ll learn these along the way as you become curious about flora and fauna you encounter
- Random thoughts — just like any other journal or diary
- Poetry — many people are inspired to write in verse to add to their pages
It’s your journal! Pick and choose what you want to include in yours. It will probably change over time. Experiment! Most of all — don’t forget to have FUN with it!
What Do I Need to Get Started?
Since this is an introduction to Nature Journaling, we aren’t going to get too technical. Personally, I like to keep things simple anyway. Think about where you’ll be journaling. Are you a hiker? Will you likely hike a few miles? Or are you more likely to park close to your chosen spot?
Make sure to grab your FREE copy of my Quick Start Guide to Nature Journaling from the Freebie Library.
Both are valid options, but may influence what tools you choose. I tend to be a hiker most of the time, so I like to travel light. A heavy pack full of lots of supplies is not something I would choose.
- Art supplies — choose your favorite media whether it’s pencils or paint, but carry only what you need. While it’s cool in the studio to have every color of paint, in the field it’s not practical. That bird that you’re trying to sketch won’t sit still long enough for you to rattle through your bag looking for the perfect color!
- Sketchbook — Choose one that’s small enough to carry with you. Pay attention to the type of paper. You’ll want heavier paper — perhaps mixed media if you plan to use watercolors. If you’re going to use mostly pencil, any sketchbook will do. I like to see beginners start with the least expensive option available. The reason? It’s best to not have to worry about wasting expensive paper! The more drawings you do, the better you’ll get!
- Clothing — this should go without saying, but make sure you’re dressed for the weather! Layers are best whether it’s the height of summer or the middle of winter.
That’s all you need to get started! And I’m willing to bet that you already have most of this at home without needing to go out and purchase a bunch of expensive supplies.
Take a look at my personal favorite supplies to get you started!
Your First Nature Journal: Getting and Staying Motivated
An introduction to nature journaling wouldn’t be complete without a motivational section! If you’re like most of us, me included, you’re going to start off strong. After a little time passes, you’ll lose the motivation that comes with the ‘newness’ of things. Here are a few tips to keep you going.
- Start small — habits are easier to maintain if you start with small commitments. Even 5 minutes a day of drawing will increase your proficiency! Create lasting habits — check out this video on Mini-Habits to get you started. Sketch while you have your morning coffee, or on your lunch hour. You can find nature everywhere! (Even in your kitchen! Sketch an apple, a pepper, or your houseplant.)
- Stay close to home. As appealing as it is, there’s no need to travel to distant, exotic lands to find interesting things to add to your nature journal. Your own backyard has plenty of journaling opportunities!
- Learn to adopt a growth mindset rather than a fixed one. Check out what Carol Dweck has to say about this in her TED talk on YouTube.
Nature Journaling is accessible to anyone! The supplies are inexpensive and easy to acquire. And one last tidbit of motivation. You’ve heard that it takes 10,000 hours to get good at something, right? Wrong! That number has been misquoted on site after site. It takes 10,000 hours to become a musical virtuoso or an Olympic class athlete. For the rest of us, studies show that it takes only 20 hours to get reasonably good at something new! How awesome is that?! You can do 20 hours — that’s easy, right?
What are you waiting for? Get busy and get those 20 hours!
