Nature Journaling | Stay Motivated
‘How do I stay motivated in my Nature Journaling journey?’, is a question that a follower asked recently. What a great question, and an issue that I’m sure we all struggle with from time to time. I know I certainly do. Let’s jump right into the why’s and how’s of staying motivated.
Finding Your ‘Why’ Is Key to Staying Motivated in your Nature Journal
Finding your why — terminology coined by Simon Sinek, a motivational speaker/entrepreneur. Catch his TED talk on the topic at or read his book ‘Start With Why’. In a nutshell, dig deep and figure out why you want to keep a nature journal in the first place. Make sure it’s not just another thing to tic off of your, ‘I should do this’ list.
There are many ways to connect with nature besides Nature Journaling. Our brains balk at the ‘shoulds’ in our life. Your own personal ‘why’ will help keep you motivated naturally.
How A Growth Mindset Keeps You Motivated to Nature Journal
A fixed mindset is another way we ‘should’ ourselves.
I believe that we often underestimate the power of the words we speak to ourselves. Think about it for a minute. Words can be used to sell, to motivate, to inspire, to belittle, to degrade, to uplift, . . . and the list goes on.
How we speak to ourselves matters!
A ‘fixed mindset’ might say, ‘I should get out my Nature Journal and create a page. It’s been so long since I’ve done one.’ Notice the ‘should’? See the way that those words conjure up shame and guilt? That’s not motivating, and yet most of us speak to ourselves this way all the time. Shame and guilt are never going to motivate us to create that nature connection that we’re looking for.
A ‘growth mindset’, however, might say, ‘I get to go Nature Journal for a while’, or ‘Woohoo, I have time to work in my Nature Journal today!’ Just a few tiny little words, but what a difference in perspective and staying motivated in your Nature Journal!
Learn to use the power of words to your advantage to build yourself up rather than tear yourself down.
How Time of Day May Affect Motivation
Are you a morning person? Do you have a day job and come home too exhausted to do anything else, much less get out your Nature Journal? Have you really drained all your energy, or are you, perhaps, a morning person?
No matter what time of day you feel most energetic, that’s the time of day you can try to carve out a bit of time for Nature Journaling. That’s when you will find it much easier to get out and explore! Find times that work for you.
- Get up just a bit earlier in the morning.
- Carve out morning time on your days off.
- Are you a night owl? You can Nature Journal at night too! Sketch a star map or work on cut flowers and fruit at your kitchen table.
- Take your journal with you to work and slip in some sketching time during your lunch hour.
Baby Steps to Staying Motivated
‘An object in motion tends to stay in motion, while an object at rest tends to stay at rest.’ Newton’s first law of motion.
Most of us are probably familiar with that part of the law of motion. But do you know the rest of that statement? The rest of that law states: unless acted upon by an outside (unbalanced) force.
So what does this have to do with staying motivated with your Nature Journal?
It only takes a teeny, tiny change in motion to get you re-motivated. Start with a tiny commitment. Just 5 minutes. You can do anything for 5 minutes, right? Get out your journal and sketch something simple — an apple, for example. Set a timer. If, after that 5 minutes is up, you don’t feel like continuing, give yourself permission to put it away.
Keep those 5 minute appointments with yourself. You’ll be surprised at how often that 5 minutes turns into 10, 15, or 30 minutes.
Set out on a stroll. Take your Nature Journal along, but don’t plan to get it out. Just enjoy your stroll. Often for me, I’ll head out in a bad mood and as I stroll along, I find myself noticing the bird sounds. Pretty soon, my mood has lifted and I get my sketchbook out. I allow myself to just stroll and enjoy, however, without any expectation of Nature Journaling that day.
So much of the time, the goals we set are unrealistic. We are ambitious, which is a good thing; but when we fall short of our goals, we end up feeling like failures. We beat ourselves up. (Think New Year’s resolutions — and ‘the shoulds’.)
Expectations Can Block Your Nature Journaling Motivation
Do you expect a perfectly executed sketch or painting in your Nature Journal when you head out for the day? Does your finished page live up to your expectations — whether it’s the artwork, the lettering, how well you identified species?
Nature is unpredictable! So, it follows that predicting an outcome in your journal may also be unpredictable.
Go back to your why. Why do you want to keep a Nature Journal? If your why is to create beautiful works of art on your pages, then you need to adjust your journaling to accommodate that goal. That kind of page takes much more time, more tools, and more practice than say, a journal page that is more of a diary of your encounters along the way.
Make sure that you’re enjoying the journey of creating your pages — not just looking for that perfect end product. Don’t let BIG expectations steal your ability to stay motivated!
Partner Up
Accountability. It’s not the perfect word here, but stay with me for a second. Having Nature Journaling partners, keeps us motivated to get out there if for no other reason than we don’t want to disappoint or let others down.
There are times when I’ve committed to a Nature Journal outing with other people. Like most introverts, the day comes and I think to myself, ‘I really don’t feel like doing this today.’ Because I’ve let others know I’ll be there, I force myself to get it together and go. I am never sorry that I followed through! But left to my own devices, on those days, I guarantee I would not have gone by myself.
There are Nature Journal groups and clubs all over. Jack Laws has graciously created a page on his website where you can search for one near you. If there isn’t one, he also teaches you how to start one where you are.
Be Kind to Yourself
Be kind to yourself! We are literally living in unprecedented times — our brains are filled with the chaos and fear of what’s happening around us. It drains us of energy and focus. Although spending a bit of time connecting with nature through our NJ can help with that, ‘shoulding’ all over yourself will only add to your chaos!
Nature Journaling, done right, should be a relaxing, engaging hobby — don’t make it your job!
So there you have my take — 6 ways to increase your motivation to keep Nature Journaling; or doing almost anything else for that matter!
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Warm-Up Exercises: End ‘Sacrificial Pancakes’
Warm-up exercises are one of those things that most of us avoid, right? Most of us like to dive right into the ‘fun’; whether it’s exercise or sketching.
How many times have you gone out to sketch in your Nature Journal, only to be disappointed in those first sketches you attempt? If you follow Jack Laws, or Marley Piefer, they call these initial sketches ‘sacrificial pancakes’. It’s just like making pancakes for breakfast. The first one is almost always a flop.
Good news! There is a way to put an end to most of those initial awkward sketches.
Why We Need to Warm-Up
Anything we do that has more than one step involved, over time, creates a connection between the muscles used to accomplish the task and our brains. It’s a bit like a short-cut key on your computer. Think about something like driving a stick-shift. When you first start to learn, you have to very consciously think about each and every step. It’s difficult to coordinate the movements. Once you’ve driven that car for a while, you no longer need to think it through. It becomes subconscious — you can think of other things as you drive. You have created a muscle memory.
Creating muscle memory for sketching and drawing is similar. Your brain makes the connection between certain shapes and your brain. You know what those common shapes look like and how to create them.
There is another element involved, however, and this is where the warm-up comes into play.
Warm-up exercises for sketching help us to switch gears. It signals our brain that we’re going to draw now, so that your muscle memory kicks in. It’s much like winding down after your work day. During our commute home, most of us listen to music or maybe our favorite podcast. That activity tells our brain that work is over, we’re switching to personal time now.
Simple Warm-Up Exercises
I’m not gonna lie. I don’t always remember to warm-up before I begin a drawing session. But when I do, I’m happier with my first results and the session as a whole is much more enjoyable.
Start off with some simple lines; vertical, horizontal, and diagonal. Switch-up the pressure. Go from light to dark, dark to light; play with the line weight.
Begin with lines – vary the direction and weight 
Move on to s-curves. Again vary the direction and weight
In case you were curious — my favorite graphite drawing pencils — Derwent Graphic Pencils. These have been my go-to pencils for years. For me, the graphite is smoother and creamier.
Now try more organic-shaped lines, s-curves and such. Again, vary the direction and the line weights.
Next move on to basic shapes: circles, ellipses, cones, and rectangles. Make sure to vary the sizes and angles.
The last exercise I do is putting some of the shapes together. A triangle + an ellipse = a cone, which can become a bird’s beak later when you’re sketching.
Turn the 2-D shapes into 3-D forms. A triangle becomes a cone — which becomes maybe a bird’s beak.
A rectangle becomes a cylinder, which in turn becomes a tree branch or the body of a mammal.
A rectangle plus a couple of ellipses = a cylinder, which later becomes a tree branch, or perhaps the body of a deer. You get the idea.
So there you have it. Written out, it looks a bit intimidating but in reality we’re only talking about a few minutes to do all of these exercises. I promise that taking those couple of minutes will reward you with much better sketches from the beginning. Remember, this is not about perfecting anything. It’s about switching gears and letting your brain know that you are getting ready to draw.
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Barefoot Shoes: My First Year
Wow, it’s been a year already since I bought my first pair of Xero Barefoot Shoes! And what a year it’s been. I’ve:
- assisted my Dad in his recovery from a broken hip (he’s fully recovered now!) — actually, he broke his hip the day after I got my first pair and I wore them for 48 hours straight in the hospital with him. I was hooked on the shoes from there!
- spent hours outdoors in the gardens sprucing up the yard at the home we were selling.
- spent more hours repainting, cleaning, and purging inside the house.
- helped move 6 people from 2 houses into 1.
as well as, of course, a bit of hiking squeezed in along with my day job that continued during the Pandemic.
Read the full Disclaimer HERE.
This post contains affiliate links. I may get a small commission. This does not in any way affect the price of the product for you. Affiliate links are one way that I make money to keep this blog and my YouTube channel going. Thank you!
The Results of My Year With Xero Barefoot Shoes
After that first encounter with barefoot shoes , my feet felt so much better that I ordered my second pair of Xeros; the TerraFlex.
- Before barefoot shoes, I had on and off issues with plantar fasciitis. I wear the Xeros almost exclusively now and have had no more fasciitis issues.
- I’ve also struggled with bad knees since I was a kid. Walking/hiking downhill can be punishing to my knees! While I still have bad knees, I have noticed that the pain with downhill hiking is much less than it used to be. I have to wonder if that is due not only to the ‘barefoot’ styling which has made my gait more normal, but also the fact that the shoes weigh so little compared to my former clunky hiking boots.
- After working for several years at a garden center, wearing those clunky boots, I developed problems with ingrown toenails. The hiking boots never fit tight enough in the heel, so as I walked miles and miles through the day, my feet were forever sliding forward and jamming my toes into the toe box. After a year with my Xero barefoot Shoes, ingrown toenails are a thing of the past.
These are just a few pairs of my and my family’s Xero barefoot shoes collection. We all agree these are the most comfortable shoes we’ve ever worn! We all wear them for active adventures as well as at work and in our everyday life. Unexpected Benefit As a Nature Journaler
As a Nature Journaler, I have come to appreciate the super thin Vibram sole on my Xero barefoot Shoes. They allow my feet to feel the terrain almost as well as if I was actually barefoot. So what, you’re thinking?
In my old hiking boots, I was forever tripping over roots, rocks, and other trail trippers. Is there anything more annoying when you’re trying to get a good look at a skittish bird or other animal to sketch them? The sound and sudden movement when you’re tripping is not conducive to stealthy stalking!
Now I can feel what’s under my feet without having to look down all the time. Less tripping — hey, I’m still a bit clumsy!
Xero Shoes: The Company
At the time I’m writing this, Xero barefoot Shoes have more than 26,000 5-star reviews over 97 countries. That speaks volumes.
And, did I mention — they guarantee their Vibram soles for 5000 miles of use!
Head on over to the Xero Shoes website and check them out for yourself.
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Create a Nature Journaling Sit-Spot at Home
Creating a sit-spot at home is not only easy, but also a fun and engaging way to connect with the nature in your own yard or garden.
What is a Sit-Spot?
A sit-spot is a place that you can visit often and at all seasons of the year. It’s a place where you can just relax and ‘be’. It can be a quiet, zen spot or a dynamic and engaging place — or sometimes both. Visiting this spot year ‘round can take you nature journaling practice to new levels.
Nature Journaling in one consistent spot throughout the year, kind of forces you to be more observant. Too often, we become sort of blind to the things that we see every day. You know, like when you pass by that chair in your bedroom that’s filled with clothes — and you just don’t see it anymore?!
Why You Need a Sit-Spot at Home
I believe we can all benefit from having a sit-spot at home. There are several reasons I can think of:
- Life happens. The past year and the pandemic has certainly shown us that the completely unexpected can come upon us at any time! I was fortunate enough to have a couple of good spots in my yard to use.
- The need to care for loved ones. Whether you’re looking after an ill or aging relative or taking care of kids, having a convenient spot to sit and connect with nature is a real life-saver for your mental health. Bonus, if your charges are able to sit with you, it’s good for them also!
- You may become temporarily incapacitated yourself, whether after a surgery or injury.
Having a sit-spot where you are ensures that you have a constant connection with the nature around you, whether you keep a nature journal or not.
Creating Your Own Personal Spot
The patio door leads to my studio desk — making this a perfect place for a ‘sit-spot’! First you need to decide what kind of sit-spot you want to create. Are you most interested in plants? Do you want lots of colorful flowering bushes. What about wildlife? Would you like to attract birds and squirrels to your spot? What about bees and butterflies? Do you want it in a secluded area of your property, or close to windows so that you can nature journal in inclement weather?
Once you’ve answered all of those questions, the fun begins!
If you want to attract birds and squirrels you’ll need:
- Nearby bushes and trees to provide shelter and protection from predators.
- Unless you’re looking to attract just specific birds, you’ll probably want to provide a couple of different types of feeders; one for loose seed and a suet feeder. If you live in an area with hummingbirds, you can also add a liquid hummingbird feeder.
- Having a water supply of some type nearby will encourage the birds and squirrels to hang out in your yard for longer periods of time. It can be just a shallow bowl of water is also a great addition.
My spot for creating the new ‘sit-spot’. It has great ‘bones’, including a bush for small birds to hide from predators. That fire-pit will become a small water-feature, further creating attraction for small birds, butterflies, and bees. Plants for Your New Sit-Spot
If you’re new to gardening, make sure you know a few things about your chosen spot before you go shopping for plants — avoid costly and disappointing results!!
- Know what your plant growing zone is. Check the appropriate map for your area; in the U.S,. in Europe, and in Australia
- Know approximately how many hours of shade and sun your spot gets each day. Pick a relatively sunny day. Go outside once every hour to check — don’t guess! Remember to think about trees when they are in full leaf — it may be sunny in winter, but completely in shade in the spring, summer, and fall. A plant that gets either way too much or way too little sun will never thrive!
- Know if your chosen spot is extra dry, extra wet, or somewhere in between
If you need more help choosing plants, I highly recommend that you visit your local garden center. The staff will be able to help you select the right plants for the spot you’ve chosen. Their expertise is worth its weight in gold and can save you time, money, and headaches down the line.
Now, . . . Sit and Create Your Nature Journal Pages!
Planning, planting, maintaining, and observing through the seasons really helps connect you to your sit-spot in a meaningful way. There’s just something magical about planting and watching it grow and change. Putting fresh feed out for birds and squirrels can also help you make that connection as well.
Creating your very own sit-spot in your yard or garden, even if it’s just a small pot of flowers or a tiny balcony or patio, will give you so many opportunities to Nature Journal from the comfort of your own home.
Follow along with me as I add to my own sit-spot at my new home. I’ll be posting monthly updates in my newsletter. Sign up for my monthly newsletter at the bottom of the page.
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Portable, Disposable Watercolor Palette
Need a smaller, portable, even disposable watercolor palette for sketching in your Nature Journal? Here’s an easy way to create a custom one of your own.
When I’m out and about creating Nature Journal pages, I use a small half-pan watercolor palette that holds 12 colors. It’s portable enough for most field sketches, but sometimes I want something even smaller and easier to balance. So I created this little system for those times.
Creating a Watercolor Pencil Palette: Gather Supplies
Say hello to my easy, peasy and disposable watercolor palette. It’s flat, weighs almost nothing, and clips right to your sketchbook.
Supplies needed to create your own:
- Index cards
- Watercolor pencils
- Binder clip or paper clip
- Access to a laminator (many libraries and copy shops have one)
Watercolor pencils are so versatile! Did you know that you can color with them dry, then use a watercolor brush to pick up paint just like it was a pan watercolor set? That’s how this system works. Choosing artist grade pencils can make a big difference in the intensity of the colors. For that reason, I use Prismacolor Watercolor Pencils.
Premier Watercolor Pencils (Set of 24)Create Your Personal Palette
Just like working with fill-able half-pans, you get to create your own custom palette of colors. Because this is temporary and disposable, you can make as many different palettes as you need!
- Choose the colors you want to take along on your sketching adventure. This might vary from trip to trip depending on season and ecosystem. For instance, if you’re traveling to the beach, you’ll probably want a selection of blues; greens if you’re headed to the mountains.
- When choosing your colors, remember that you can mix them just like pan colors. You don’t need every color that you own! The more colors you choose, the more index cards you’ll need to get enough pigment to be usable.
- Don’t have all the pencil colors you’d like? You can certainly mix the dry colors right on your index card — nothing says that you have to use only pure, 1-pencil color to create your palette! (create an index card with mixed pencil colors)
- Color large swatches of your chosen colors onto your index card. Make sure to really saturate the card with plenty of pigment. I usually keep it to 6 colors plus a strip of black on one index card.
- Leave space between your swatches, otherwise you’ll end up with mud when you begin grabbing your color.
- Take 2 blank index cards, place them back to back and have them laminated. I use 2 back to back to make the mixing palette sturdier. You’ll use this over and over. This becomes your mixing palette. Pro tip: you can usually get more than one card on a sheet of lamination — use all of that space! You can give extras to friends or carry them in more than one sketchbook.
Using Your Portable Palette in the Field
When I use this system, it’s generally because I’m hiking and don’t have a lot of time to sit and paint. This is a great system for standing and sketching. I tend to use this more for creating color swatches on my page and not so much for coloring a whole image, although with a tiny sketch you could certainly use this palette for the entire image!
On the far left is the laminated card-mixing palette. The watercolor cards and mixing palette are clipped to my 4″ X 5″ mixed media sketchbook. Using your binder clip, or even a paperclip, attach your palette and mixing palette to your sketchbook (they might blow away otherwise!). Take your water-brush and grab a bit of your chosen color from the corner of a swatch. Just like in a regular pan palette, your colors will muddy over time — if you use the corners first, there’s less accidental mixing. You can now go straight to your sketch or over to the laminated card to do some mixing — it works just like your half-pan palette!
This disposable watercolor palette system works great for me because I can carry just a tiny sketchbook with everything I need all in my jacket pocket. I also keep one in my glovebox for those unexpected adventures as I go about my day. I hope you’ll give this a try! Let me know what you think in the comments.
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Step-by-Step Field Bag from Cargo Pants
Here it is — for those who have been asking! Honestly the YouTube video where I talked about my field bag made of cargo pants is my most watched video! Crazy!
Many have asked for more specific instructions than I gave in that quick-look. So hang on, . . . here we go!
First you need to find a pair of cargo pants. (They don’t need to be long pants–cargo shorts will work just as well) I’m fortunate that I live near the largest Salvation Army thrift store in Ohio. I can almost always find cargo pants. This pair had a price tag of $3.99 on them, but I was there on 1/2 price day, so I paid only $2.00 for these. If you can’t find cargo pants at your local thrift store, it’s still cheaper to buy a pair than a pricey pre-made bag.
Wrangler Authentics Men’s Classic Twill Relaxed Fit Cargo Pant, Black, 36W x 32LI also picked up a small kids bag. Why? This particular bag had a nice, sturdy web strap with a buckle adjustment. It was priced at $1.99, so again 1/2 price day, I paid $1.00 to get a strap — MUCH less than it would have cost for a new strap from the fabric store + the cost of the adjusting buckle.
Let’s measure and cut out the body of our bag. Most cargo pants have pockets on both legs, so you’ll have to decide which pocket you’re using for the body of your bag and which you’ll use for the flap.
First Time Sewing: The Absolute Beginner’s GuideOnce you’ve decided, lay the pants leg flat with the pocket centered (and the other leg tucked up out of the way). In the photo, I’ve drawn a line above the pocket that just misses the crotch seam. You can feel this through the fabric. I want as much fabric above the pocket as I can get.
For the bottom cutting line, I laid down the largest sketchbook I carry to decide how far down below the pocket I wanted to cut.
Repeat the cutting for the other pocket. This one will become the flap for your bag — this one you’ll only need the top part of the leg with the pocket. You can cut off the back part of the leg.
Cut lining fabric for the body of the bag as well as for the flap. For the body of the bag, lay your cargo pants piece down onto a doubled piece of your chosen lining fabric. (I happened to have this piece on hand, but you could buy a small piece, or if you want to stay with the thrift store items, a large men’s button-up shirt should work.)
Cut a single layer of fabric to line the flap. In the photo, you can see that I’m using a plate to round the edges of my flap. This is just a personal preference — I think it looks more finished than a square edge.
Stitch around the sides and bottom of the lining fabric, right sides together. Leave the top open. Make sure you know which is the top and which is the bottom of your bag lining. As we’re working with a pants leg, it’s usually a bit tapered.
Flip the body of the bag inside out and stitch the bottom edge. 
Place the lining inside the body of the bag and set aside. Stitch the flap lining to the flap. Place the flap lining right sides together with the flap. Stitch around 3 sides, leaving the top side open.
Pin the flap to the back 1/2 of the body of the bag. Now, with right sides together, stitch the flap to the back 1/2 of the body of the bag.
Stitch the strap to the sides of the bag. Make sure to stitch this down in several places — make a square or an ‘x’ or both, as the strap will take a lot of punishment with use.
I’ve chose to finish the raw edges with double fold bias binding. There are many ways to finish off the raw edges that you’re left with. Since, for me, this isn’t a high fashion bag, it’s a bag I carry on hikes, I’ve chosen the easiest method.
I purchased some ready-made double fold bias binding from my local Walmart. (You should be able to find this anywhere that sells sewing supplies.) It’s easy to use; you simple sandwich your raw edges inside and stitch it down! Easy, peasy.
Jetec 1/2 Inch Double Fold Bias Tape Bias Binding Tape Wide Fold Cotton Tape for Sewing Seaming Hemming Piping Quilting Projects (Black,30 Yards)And there you have it! A finished field bag that will hold tons of art supplies, nature adventure tools, your sketchbook, sunscreen, and insect repellant!
So what are you waiting for? Grab your bag and get out there with your nature journals. No more excuses that bags are too expensive!
There are so many other ways that you can re-purpose older things! What ideas can you come up with?
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Hand Lettering in Your Nature Journal
Creating fun hand lettering on your Nature Journal pages can really take your pages to the next level! Take a quick look at this video to see how easy it can be.
To pick up the free tutorial on the lettering styles shown in the video click here to sign up for the Freebies Library.
My favorite pens when I’m Hand-Lettering on my journal pages. The ink is archival, meaning it won’t degrade the paper over time. These are my go-to when I want to outline letters — when they’re dry you can watercolor over them with no bleeding or smearing. That’s the reason I use them for any notes or observations also. The non-smearing effect means I can highlight text with watercolors!
I want to give you a super-quick overview of how and why you should create ‘just word’ pages in your Nature Journals.
Sit-Spots and Nature Journal Pages
I have been practicing ‘sit-spot’ for a while now. A sit-spot is a place that you can go, preferably at home or at least very close to home. You visit your sit-spot on a regular basis. Visiting your sit-spot without an agenda, without your phone, without your sketchbook will allow you to just get quiet and make a real connection with nature.
Over time, you will find that you are becoming familiar with the wildlife at your spot. You recognize the calls of the local birds and notice how their calls and songs change when they are looking for a mate or are warning each other of a potential threat. You’ll follow the progress of the seasons in the trees, perennials, and annuals that live near your sit-spot.
I do this on an almost daily basis. I’ve watched sparrows nest, lay eggs, feed the nestlings, and then finally watched the nestlings fledge and fly off on their own. These are the things that I write about in my Nature Journal pages after the fact. Since I’m not drawing as I’m watching, I use only the words. I do, however, help to tell these stories with creative Hand-Lettering on those Nature Journal pages that are words only pages! For me, it makes those pages so much more interesting and more like a story.
If you haven’t tried just sitting still in nature without any agenda, I urge you to give it a shot and see how it can change you!
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New Sketchbook Anxiety
New sketchbook anxiety is real for most of us! It used to be a real stumbling block for me. Purchasing a new sketchbook is always a rush — thinking about all the potential in those blank pages was thrilling! But all of that imagining always gave way to crippling anxiety when actually facing that first blank page.
It’s an all or nothing mentality really. It goes something like this: ‘If I mess up this first page, the whole sketchbook is ruined. Why do I even bother?’ We make those tentative first marks, and our prediction has come true! We failed to create a masterpiece!
Remembering What a Sketchbook Is
For me, the first step in overcoming that anxiety is remembering why I keep a sketchbook in the first place. My sketchbook is for exploration and experimentation. It’s for taking notes and for planning out the occasional larger finished artwork.
Remembering the purpose of my sketchbook takes lots of pressure off of that first mark on that first page.
My favorite ‘go-to’ sketchbook is Canson’s Mixed Media. The paper is just heavy enough to take watercolor in the field. I also find that it has just enough tooth that I don’t have a bunch of trouble with graphite smearing. I also love that it’s wire-bound so it lays flat when I’m working. Plus it comes in several sizes!
New Sketchbook Anxiety Busters
Here are a few more tricks I’ve learned along the way:
Muddy boot on page became my title page after outlining and a bit of lettering! - Don’t buy expensive sketchbooks! I am much less ‘precious’ about a sketchbook that hasn’t cost me an arm and a leg. On the occasion that I want a more expensive one, I try to buy in advance and on sale!
- Create a title page on the first page. Do some nice hand-lettering. It’s all about creating those first marks.
- Drop your book on the ground – yes, you heard me correctly! Drop it on the ground, step on it. Create a doodle from the marks.
- Make pre-set layouts for the first couple of pages. Draw smallish rectangles or squares — they’re much less daunting than an entire blank page.
- Tuck a couple of scrap papers between the pages. Do your warm-up sketches (ie: the uglies) on the scraps before you work in your new journal.
- Create reference materials on the first few pages.
- Value studies
- Color wheels
- Write or paste a copy of a favorite inspriational poem or quote on the first page.
- Choose a theme you’d like to explore. Write that theme at the top of a couple of pages.
- Who says you have to start on page 1? Flip your sketchbook to a page in the middle and get started!
- Take a cue from bullet journalers and create:
- A moon chart
- An index
- A sketching habit-tracker
Color-Mixing Practice & Value Study/Color Wheels These are but a few ideas to get you started. Try one or two or come up with a list of your own ideas! Most importantly, don’t let new sketchbook anxiety win — get started on that new journal!
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Nature Journaling in Public: Yikes!
Nature Journaling in public can be a daunting prospect for most of us. Planning a nature journaling trip to a museum, zoo, or aquarium sounds like a great idea! That is, until you get there — it’s crowded, and you’re now too nervous to get out your sketchbook. Today I’m sharing tips to help you get over your fear of nature journaling in public.
‘Fear is not a rational response to whatever challenges stare at us in life. And it is all in our mind, within us, and not anything external to us.‘
from Think Simple NowPrepare Your Mind Before You Go
Before you head out remember, everyone else is usually busy doing THEIR thing as well. Look at how many people are texting or talking on their cell phones, chatting, talking with a friend, having lunch or tea or a drink in the pub, shopping, sightseeing, taking photos, or reading… most often they’re going on about their own business and won’t even notice that you’re nature journaling!
There are basically two strategies that we’re going to discuss: avoiding interactions with other people and how to handle situations when people approach you anyway.
Tips for Avoiding Interactions When Nature Journaling in Public
- Wear headphones or earbuds and make sure they can be seen from a distance! Most people are reluctant to approach someone who is listening to music. Of course, you don’t actually have to be plugged into anything! Just tuck the end of the cord into your pocket — they’ll never notice!
- Use a smallish hardbound sketchbook. It looks more like a written journal or diary and people won’t be as inclined to look over your shoulder.
- Don’t bring every art supply you own! That will definitely call attention to what you’re doing! Choose your favorite sketching tool: a pencil, pen, or brush marker should do.
- Look busy — concentrate. This may be the appropriate time to bring out your resting bitch face if you have it! People don’t often interrupt someone who looks totally engrossed in what they’re doing.
- Use the buddy system. Bring a friend, or join a group. You won’t be as nervous if you aren’t alone! Also people are less likely to approach a group of people involved in an activity.
Tips for Times When Someone Approaches You
In spite of your best efforst, there will ocassionally be someone who breaks through your defenses. Although these encounters will be few, it always helps to dispell that fear if you have a plan in place in advance.
- Relax and breathe! You are allowed to be a beginner — give yourself that permission. You can be an expert artist and an old hand at nature journaling, but new to dealing with people looking over your shoulder as you work. That is a learning process as well!
- Do your warm-up sketches in the car so you aren’t worried about doing those first few wonky sketches with an audience.
- In my experience, most encounters are positive. Remember that most people think that drawing is magic! If someone does approach you with a comment, say thank you for the feedback (whether positive or negative), then put your head down and get back to work. You will have acknowledged them politely and shown them clearly that the interaction is over and you’re getting back to work.
- Look at an encounter as an opportunity to be an ambassador for nature journaling! You are in love with nature or you wouldn’t be out here trying to capture it in your journal. Don’t be shy about sharing your passion!
Lastly, getting over that fear is just like exercising a muscle. The best way to get over the fear of nature journaling in public is to, . . . nature journal in public! Just get out there and do it!
Make sure to take a look at some of my favorite Nature Journaling tools.
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Nature Journaling in Winter
Nature Journaling in winter? Absolutely! With just a few minor adjustments to your tools and routine, winter journaling can be tons of fun and a great learning experience. Today we take a look at the things you need to adjust to make your nature journaling excursion a success.
Nature Journaling Field Kit: Winter Style
How does a winter kit differ from a summer kit? In summer, I carry a small watercolor set with a fillable water brush for adding color to my sketches. Where I live, winters have many days that are below freezing — making watercolors difficult or impossible. So in winter, I switch to colored pencils.
But, how do you carry and sift through all the colors you might need, you ask? Most of the time, I carry only 6 colors — 2 sets of the 3 primaries — one warm and one cool. That way I can create almost any color I might need.
Aside from switching to pencils, I tend to carry pretty much the same things. I do eliminate the small junk book I carry for pressing leaves and flowers. Winter cold makes things too brittle to press most of the time. I also leave the insect repellent at home. Yay! I add a tube of lip balm in its place.
A Change of Clothing
There’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.’
~ Sir Ranulph FiennesSo, what to wear out in the field in winter is really the biggest change you’ll probably need to make. Dressing for the weather is really not as difficult as we like to make it!
Keep your core warm, and the rest of your body will be warmer as well. Layers, layers, layers — my mantra for all seasons! No matter what you’re doing, where you’re going, or how long you’re planning to be out, layering is the way to go. As your body temperature and the air temperature fluctuates, it’s easy to add or subtract layers as needed.
Cover your ears! There are not a lot of nerve endings in our ears to register temperature changes; but ears, fingers, and toes are the first body parts to be damaged by prolonged exposure to the cold. Choose thick socks and appropriate footwear. Look for fingerless gloves so that you can sketch, but make sure to cover your fingers when you aren’t sketching.
But Winter is Boring; Just Brown, Gray, and Dead!
Well, . . . OK, I get that. I used to think that too. Used to.
Nature journaling is all about observation and connection, right? For sure, when I’m sitting at home looking out the window, most days are gray, cloudy and lifeless looking. But, trust me, when you get out there and begin to really look, you’ll see a whole different world!
With nature journaling in winter, it’s all about texture. The strong, bright colors of summer might be behind us, but they leave behind the structures of the plants — the parts that were hidden behind all those colors. You get to see the support structures, the seeds and how they were formed. And bonus — all those seeds now become winter food for birds and seed eating mammals. You can get some great sketching time as they come to dine!
Sketching textures can be a challenge, but challenging ourselves is good for the brain! And so what if your attempt at a pinecone is not a work of art! You spent time with that pinecone – observing. Did you hold it in your hand? Turn it over? Did you notice something you hadn’t before? Did you identify the tree it fell from? Congratulations! You’re a winter nature journaler!
Winter Nature Journaling: Yes, Virginia There is Color!
OK, so like we said, at first glance all you see is brown and gray. But, in order to successfully capture that brown seed, you’ll need other colors! Really. Look closely. I’m betting that you’ll see some form of purple in the shadows — not black like you thought. In winter, the light or highlight areas often contain a bit of blue.
Look closely at that mound of snow. Depending upon the time of day, you’ll see blues and purples as well as reflections from sunrises and sunsets.
Look up. There will be breaks in that bleak, winter sky! Sketch the clouds and that beautiful blue surrounding them!
And who doesn’t need practice mixing green colors? The other day, I stood in one spot at a local park and counted at least 5 different species of evergreen trees, all with wildly different coloring! One could spend an entire winter season sketching, studying, and cataloging just those trees and bushes!
So you see, at first glance, nature journaling in winter seems like a boring proposition, but just like nature journaling any other time of the year, it’s all about the closer observation! Are you excited to get out there?
Are you new to nature journaling (in any weather!)? Start HERE.
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