Hello! And if this is the first post you’re reading, welcome!
Just to recap, this month's theme was based on Nature Journals. The arrival of spring in the UK had me itching to spend more time outdoors and in my nature journal. I was also in need of a soothing, restorative project as I’ve been suffering with recurring illness and burnout since February and my weary brain couldn’t cope with anything too taxing.
Allowing myself more time to go on nature wanders this month has helped me to recover from seasonal illnesses and helped calm my nerves. During my walks, I deliberately slowed my pace which meant spotting things I would have ordinarily missed. Like this bumblebee which I came across, dozily wandering across the pavement, most likely recently woken from its winter sleep.
Doing this drawing made me realise how therapeutic working in my journal is. I think it’s the practice of focusing on one thing to draw and my brain not having to make too many decisions. I also loved finding out more about the bee itself and felt honoured I was able to transport it to a nearby blossom tree to stock up on nectar and save it from being squished underfoot by a pedestrian!
I was lucky to capture this incredible murmuration of birds this month. I wasn’t able to share on notes or chat as they only allow photo uploads so I saved it for this month’s round-up post. Enjoy!
One of my favourite places to visit is my local nature reserve, as soon as I step through its gate I feel a wave of calm wash over me. With the arrival of spring, it’s full of activity and over the past two weeks, I’ve spotted goldfinches, wrens, magpies, robins, blue tits, great tits and birds of prey there. It’s a place where I like to make use of all my senses, so I will often lean against a tree, close my eyes and pay attention to the sounds and smells around me.
In the post above, I shared a video featuring one of these excursions where I brought my nature journal for some location sketching. I also share how I prepped my pages and what I learned from the process. I hope by watching this, you can be inspired to Explore and Draw.
Did you work on your nature journal this month? If so, please share on this new #ExploreAndDraw chat thread which will be an ongoing place to share our outdoor-inspired creations. You can post in this chat thread anytime and will be open to all members, free and paid.
I will start using the #ExploreAndDraw hashtag on Instagram too if you would prefer to share there.
It would be incredible to get a gallery of sketches going here and connect the nature-inspired community here in The Creative Flock 💚
Tips for starting a nature journal:
The lovely
asked this question in reply to one of my Notes this week:I wanted to share my reply here in case anyone else is looking to start a nature journal and isn’t sure where to start.
Use an inexpensive sketchbook to start with. There are many premium sketchbooks and journals out there, but with that comes an expectation of it being too precious to use and that can hinder our confidence. So start with something inexpensive and if and when you feel ready to, splurge on that fancy sketchbook with the hand-made paper.
The same goes with fancy art materials, don’t feel like you have to splurge on expensive paints to get started. If you like using a pencil or pen, then just start with that and once you feel more confident, then experiment with other materials.
If you’re unsure of sketchbook size then start small. It can be overwhelming to be confronted by a blank page, even more so if it’s big! So start with a small sketchbook (A6 or A5) and work up to a larger size if you want to. The bonus of a smaller sketchbook is that they’re more portable and discreet so good for taking out with you on sketching trips.
Take inspiration from what’s on your doorstep. You don’t have to travel to a botanical garden, spend time in your local area, pocket park or nature reserve. If you’re limited on time, find inspiration from your own back garden or window box.
Lastly, lean into your interests. Do you love fungi? Great, focus on that. Nutty about newts? Awesome, just spend time at the pond or looking under rocks.
Nature journals are for capturing nature the way that you see it, and they don’t need to be ‘Pinterest Perfect’. Make it your own and you will get so much more out of it 💚
If you are looking for creative tips and advice, please feel free to start a new chat thread for help from me and the Creative Flock community 💚
Also this month, I enjoyed sharing nature-inspired artists and illustrators whose work encourages me to spend time connecting with nature and my sketchbook.
This post is available to all members, so have a read and follow the links I’ve shared to discover more about the work of these wonderful artists.
Live Sessions:
Unfortunately, I had to cancel our live drawing session as my son was poorly and I struggled to get into the studio to prep, but thankfully our Show & Tell and Co-Working sessions we able to go ahead. Thank you to everyone who came along to these!
As some of you will have seen, I posted late last week about pausing The Creative Flock for April. I’m suffering from burnout and need time to recharge my batteries.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out or commented with kind words of support, it means a lot ❤️
From April 1st, monthly subs will be paused and no more payments will come out until May, if you are on a yearly subscription, your renewal date will extend by a month.
As billing will be paused, there won’t be the option to upgrade to paid membership from 1st - 30th April.
If you were thinking of upgrading, you can still do so until the end of today (31st March) and you won’t be billed again until the end of May, so you get a free month to explore the archive and enjoy all the new stuff when I return in May.
When i’m not drawing i’m…
Reading:
Lia Leendertz Almanac - Always a treat to dive into at the beginning of each month, along with the podcast version.
This stunning book I received for Christmas - Britain’s Birds, A Treasury of Fact, Fiction and Folklore by Jo Woolf.
Listening to:
Birdsong! I’m trying to avoid plugging into podcasts or music when I’m outdoors as I want to listen to the sounds of nature. But I have occasionally been listening to this playlist when I’ve been sketching:
Watching:
Not as much TV this month as I’ve been falling asleep by 9 pm most evenings but I have watched the occasional episode of The Detectorists, which I love.
Lastly, some small treasures from the internet..
These small zines and Beth Spencer’s pocket-sized character prompts have caught my interest:
Micro Book of JanuaryRachel Erin shared her tiny sketchbook which she’s been working on to help keep up her sketchbook practice when she’s low on time:
And
pocket sized character prompts which is such a great idea and perfect for on-the-go idea generation.And that’s a wrap for March! I’ll be back towards the end of April with news of what’s coming in May (including an exciting collaboration! 🙌)
As always, thank you for your support here. Happy Easter to all who are celebrating and I wish you all a peaceful and creative April.
Your nature journal is so beautiful! I love how that spread you share is building a sort of quiet narrative. Hope you're taking care of yourself and slowly recharging xx
ps Absolutely love Detectorists too!
So glad you're pausing for a break Emma! It's so important to give ourselves time to rest. Something I am terrible at!! I hope you feel recharged and have a chance to enjoy more of nature springing to life over April. Perhaps you'll have more time in your nature journal? I look forward to connecting in May!