Journaling With Nature

Jamie is a parent educator from Malaysia. She connects with the natural world through her journal and through poetry. Jamie enjoys spending family time nature journaling with her children in the natural spaces near her home.   Listen to hear more about: The historical influences that shaped the place where Jamie spent her youth. The challenges of nature journaling as a family in the tropics. The w...

Our prompt this week is: Become an apprentice. Find someone who you admire, creatively, and make it a goal to study and replicate what it is you appreciate about their work. Copying is a great way to learn. Remember to always acknowledge that it is a copy if you post your work online. This prompt was inspired by artist Alisa Singh, who taught herself to draw like Michelangelo. You can see her draw...

Karen always had an inner voice that whispered to her about creativity and nature. When she was able to listen to these whispers, she opened a whole new world of art and nature journaling that has become an essential part of her life.   Listen to hear more about: The small moments in Karen’s childhood that gave an insight into things that would become important to her future self. Karen’s ‘hybrid’...

Our prompt this week is: Try something new Try tackling a subject in your nature journal that you have avoided until now, something that stretches you a little out of your comfort zone. Or play with a new medium that you have not used before and have always wanted to try.   ----------------- Sign-up for  Journaling With Nature's Newsletter  to receive news and updates each month.   You can support...

Kathryn is an illustrator and nature journaler from County Durham, England. She fills her journal pages with vibrant and playful depictions of the stories she sees in nature and in life. Listen to hear more about: The landscape in County Durham and the changes Kathryn has seen over the years.  Experimenting with different art techniques. Learning about and drawing invertebrates. The solace and joy...

Our prompt this week is: Create some ‘ nature spots ’. Create some ' nature spots ' in response to the colours you see in your nearby nature. Tune your eyes to the colours around you. Look closely at a colour that catches your attention, then see if you can create a little spot on your nature journal page to represent what you see To listen to my conversation with Lisa Spangler, click here . To fi...

Lisa is a watercolour artist with a passion for nature. She is on a mission to share the feelings of joyand wonder that she gets when painting outdoors. One way she does this is by connecting with the colours of the landscape and creating ' nature spots ' in her journal. Listen to hear more about: The landscapes that have been important in Lisa’s life. Making friends with plants and animals throug...

Our prompt this week is: Make yourself comfy . Think about ways that you can make yourself more comfortable while you are nature journaling. You might choose to bring a hat, sunscreen, bug spray or a camp chair along with you, as part of your essential nature journaling kit. Being comfortable will enhance your enjoyment of the experience. I would love to hear about your experiences with this issue...

Valentina is an artist who creates illustrations as a way of communicating about nature, science and sustainability. She is passionate about nature protection and hopes that her visual work will help make a positive change in the world. Listen to hear more about: A wonderful moment of connection with a fox that Valentina had as a child. How her life and career led her to Germany. Valentina’s thesi...

There will be a small change to the format of the Journaling With Nature podcast, with episodes now alternating between interviews and nature journal prompts.  Making time to nature journal during a busy week can be a challenge. This week's prompt invites us to search for small pockets of time in our regular routine that could be dedicated to nature journaling. This could be as simple as finding j...

Mirja is an illustrator, nature guide and author from the Netherlands. In her nature journal, Mirja enjoys paying close attention to the rhythm of the seasons, tuning into her senses and noticing the subtle changes that can be observed in nature throughout the year.   Listen to hear more about: Mirja’s first nature journal. Nature journaling in the Netherlands. The interconnection between language...

Kelly is a Chicago-based bird artist and photographer. Using a variety of digital and analogue techniques, Kelly is creating a series of 100 bird paintings as a way of documenting the wide variety of birds in her local forest preserve. Listen to hear more about: The people who encouraged Kelly’s love of birds in early life. The vacation that turned Kelly into a birder. Art and its importance in Ke...

Dion is an artist, naturalist and nature journal teacher. Her in-depth classes explore art and natural sciences in a diverse range of habitats. Dion collaborates with citizen science and community groups and believes in finding a middle ground in her nature journal where science and personal stories can co-exist. Listen to hear more about: Dion’s connection with art and nature in early life. The b...

Melissa is a landscape contractor with a passion for desert plants and pollinators. Melissa is always alert to ' breadcrumbs from the universe '; signs showing the way, reminding her to pay attention to nature and teaching her how to be a better designer for pollinators and people.   Listen to hear more about: The influence of family on Melissa’s connection with nature. Sacred gardening and what t...

Sarah moved from her home in Western Australia to the Irish countryside where she raised her family. After finding nature journaling and creative inspiration online, Sarah has started her own virtual community, Spark of Nature, as a way to engage with other like-minded nature lovers from around the world. Listen to hear more about: The trip that started Sarah’s ‘grand adventure’ of beginning a new...

Having followed a winding professional path all the way around the world and back to his original dream of working in conservation, Mark knows the value of community and connection. He hopes to share the beauty of nature with others through his art and his work as a countryside ranger. Listen to hear more about: The different iterations of Mark’s career that have led him to his current work in the...

Sarah has a deep connection with nature in her local area. As a lifelong learner and natural-born teacher, Sarah enjoys exchanging with others in her community and online, sharing knowledge, curiosity and enthusiasm for the natural world. Listen to hear more about: Making creativity simple and accessible to everyone. The California Naturalist Program. Actively contributing to citizen science throu...

Deborah is a nature journaler from California, USA. In her work she taught ways to combine science and art in early childhood education. Now she aims to foster a connection with nature in her family and community through nature journaling. Listen to hear more about: The importance of mentors. Combining science and art in early childhood education. Nature journaling as a tool for processing grief....

Sonja is a nature journaler from the Pacific Northwest, USA. Nature and art have been part of Sonja's life from since childhood. Nature journaling has helped her embrace a growth mindset and learn lessons about life and art. Listen to hear more about: Falling in love with nature close to home. Perfectionism and how it can hold us back.  Sonja’s favourite field sketching supplies. Combining nature...

Brooke is a designer, writer and photographer who uses her creative skills to tell engaging stories. Through her blog,  Life Noticed , Brooke shares inspiration and encouragement on the themes of mindset, creative habits, nature and art. Listen to hear more about: Brooke’s career as a creative designer and how she uses many different tools to tell her clients’ stories. The power of noticing nature...

Craig is an artist and scientific illustrator from Tasmania. After a career with positions ranging from feeding Tasmanian devils in a wildlife park, illustrating spider anatomy, and identifying fossil specimens of Australian megafauna, Craig has found his niche painting birds on vintage book pages. Listen to hear more about: What nature looks like where Craig lives in Launceston, Tasmania.  The ma...

Robin is a biologist, natural science illustrator and author with a special interest in studying ecological change over time. Her new book, The Cold Canyon Fire Journals, tells the story of a changing landscape after fire. Listen to hear more about: Robin’s relationship with Cold Canyon, past and present. How her project has shaped the way she thinks about fire. The incredible natural history stor...

We are celebrating 100 episodes of the Journaling With Nature podcast! For this milestone episode Beth Kelley Gillogly turns the microphone around and interviews Bethan about her history, nature journaling with her son and the story behind starting the podcast. Listen to hear more about: Pivotal nature experiences in my early life. How I came to nature journaling. My experience and love of colour....

Sandy is an artist, instructor and writer exploring the world through her sketchbook. Sandy uses field sketching to learn about her environment, coming to know the landscape and its inhabitants more deeply through creativity and mindful observation. Listen to hear more about: Sandy’s first memories of nature and art. The process of ‘bushwhacking’ a path to find her professional career. Sandy’s dif...

Agnes is an artist, science communicator and creator of We Are Stardust . Her artwork inspires a connection with the more-than-human world and her guided online adventures help others tune into nature by exploring both the outer and inner landscapes. Listen to hear more about: The winding professional path that has led Agnes to her freelance career. How Agnes started We Are Stardust . How nature j...