Welcome back to our series on nature journaling! We’ve covered the basics, from what it is, to how to find a nature nook, and all about how to incorporate words, numbers, and sketches. And hopefully you’ve had a chance to try out some new strategies in your practice.
But what do you do when you start to feel a little stuck? Today’s post covers some strategies to help you get out of the muck and back into the joys of a nature journaling practice.
Strategy 1: INIWIRMO
For this post, I had to start off with a classic. This strategy is a big one in the nature journaling community, especially in the work of John Muir Laws, who even has stickers available with some helpful prompts on it on his website.
Beyond being fun to say, it can help us remember something simple to add to our journal.
I Notice… – What do you notice? What stands out to you about what you are observing? Is it the color, shape, location, etc.? Often when we are adding words, numbers, or sketches, we are recording what we notice about something.
I Wonder… – What about your observation sparks your curiosity? What is it? How did it get there? What happens next? This is one of my favorite pieces to add to a journal page because I am very curious by nature and am trying to re-learn that it is okay to ask questions without immediate answers. Sometimes I leave space to answer questions in my journal and other times, I don’t. It can also be fun to look back through my journal pages to see what I was wondering about at the time and whether I’ve learned the answer since (or just formed a cool new hypothesis).
It Reminds Me Of… – How does it relate to something you have seen, heard, smelled, or felt before? Our brain learns best when it builds connections between something we are experiencing and what we have encountered before.
Strategy 2: AEIOU and sometimes Y
This is an acronym I came up with when trying to describe the different ideas I focus on when nature journaling. Full disclosure, I definitely use some more than others, but have used each at different times.
A – Amazing: Describe the sense of joy and wonder you feel while looking at what you are observing. How did it make you feel? What about it really connected for you in that moment?
E – Ephemeral: If you don’t take the time to really notice what’s in front of you, would it be gone – or noticeably different – the next time you come back to that spot? How has it changed or how might you expect it to change over time? Nature is full of impermanence with changes happening all the time. On large scales and small.
I – Imperfect: What sets this one apart? Is there a uniqueness to it in terms of color or shape? Or maybe it is missing something? How might that have happened? While nothing is ever perfect, finding trees/leaves that have been scratched, chewed, or somehow altered can make for very interesting drawing studies. Plus they allow us to track interactions between plants and their animal neighbors.
O – Ordinary: What do you see when you take the time to really look at something you might normally have passed by? Is it really structured the way you thought? Or has your mind been filling in the gaps? This can be a fun practice when you’re feeling stuck and also allow you to get your pencil miles in. When I recently did this, I noticed that the shape of sword fern leaves was not at all what I thought it was.
U – Unexpected: What about the thing you are observing surprises you? Write about it! Taking the time to notice things we’ve never taken the time to notice before and be truly present while in nature has lots of benefits. Plus we often get to make some amazing connections or stumble upon interesting questions in the process.
Y – Yourself: What is your place within this space? How are you interacting with what you are observing? You can write about it, draw yourself within the environment, or even use yourself for scale (I find the last one to be fun with tall trees). If you are involved in some sort of stewardship or citizen science project, add that to your journal as well.
Strategy 3: Thematic Treasure Hunt
This is a game-like strategy I like to add in from time to time to mix things up with my nature journaling. It also allows me to focus on something specific to look for, though occasionally I will come across something while out that catches my attention more and will just go with that instead. I have a couple sets of cards from the gofindit card game that I use when I’m really stuck or have handy when nature journaling with others.
So for this activity, you first have to pick a theme. It could be anything, like:
- color
- shape
- texture
- size
- category (leaves, mushrooms, etc.)
Then you go out and write/measure/draw about that theme. It can also be fun to compare and contrast what you are journaling about.
Getting Unstuck
Today’s post has reviewed some strategies to help you get unstuck with your nature journaling practice. And while these will help inspire new ways to add words, numbers, and sketches to your pages, what if it is the pencil miles that have you stuck? Check out the next post for some easy suggestions for how to increase your pencil mileage with ease.
Until next time, happy journaling!
Fernheart Designs 