The thing most people say to me about nature journaling, after ‘but I can’t draw…’ is ‘I’d love to try, but I don’t know where to go to see nature’.
My response is usually, ‘Just look around you!’ Unless we’re in the middle of an enclosed building with no windows, there’s nearly always something to demonstrate that we and nature are intrinsically linked. It’s a short step from there to understanding and cherishing that connection.
Many people still think they need to go to the wilds to experience nature, and (although that’s a fantastic thing to do) my mission has always been to get them to connect with, and truly experience the wonder of nature which is right on their doorstep. Those everyday life forms which we think of as commonplace, or even a nuisance; dandelions and daisies, crows and gulls, ‘weeds’ pushing through the paving cracks. They all have their unique and valuable place in our ecosystems, and deserve to be recorded in our journals.
When we begin to really observe and take notice of something we see all the time, we develop a kind of ‘ownership’, and connection (there’s that word again!) which is so important. Feeding garden birds is a probably the simplest example of this. We may not know their Latin names, but more importantly, by watching them regularly, we understand what they look like, which foods they like, and how they behave. A flurry of birds becomes the sparrow social club, the feisty finches, and the mysterious lone woodpecker which always flies in solo… A whole new world begins to open up!
Observing the nature we come across all the time is easy, plus, knowing and really understanding something helps when we come to sketch it; so it’s an all-round win for nature journalers!
I believe we should be grateful for opportunities to go further afield to experience nature, but by simply taking the time to stop, slow down, and focus on the natural world in our local area we have so much to gain.
It’s just about changing the mindset. Nothing is ordinary – especially where nature is concerned.
Find Jules online through her website: www.drawnintonature.com. She also regularly shares her beautiful work on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.