How do you capture the complexity of nature on the pages of your nature journal?
Today’s Prompt: Simplify the Complex
One inevitable challenge when nature journaling is prioritizing. Unfortunately, your brain has a limited capacity. You have to choose your focus. This came up very clearly in a class by Akshay Mahajan at the Wild Wonder Nature Journaling conference. Akshay described a process that he came up with for simplifying nature and capturing information on his page. His method is called Boxy Critters and you will have to watch his class to see the whole thing. His class was SO good. You can buy after conference tickets to watch the recorded videos. Akshay’s class alone is worth the price of admission.
Check out more of Akshay’s work on his instagram.
Tips for Simplifying the Complex
- First, choose what your intent is. Are you mostly interested in recording animal behavior while in the field? What is the best way to capture that information? Are you mostly interested in distinguishing visually between closely related species?
- Next, work fast because speed leaves little room for inefficiency.
- Use words. Words are a powerful way to capture information quickly.
- Use bold permanent drawing tools. In other words, get rid of that pencil.
- Take off your glasses. Sometimes, squinting, crossing your eyes, or taking off your glasses helps us see the things that really matter. The blurriness eliminates the non essential details.
- Sketch now, think later. Can you review your pages when you get home? Look for ways to simplify more.
But what if I’m completely new to nature journaling?
Regardless of your experience, we got you right here. Below are links to some super resources for beginner nature journalers.
Are you just getting started with Nature Journaling?
Here are tips and motivation for beginners.
Where is the 30 day challenge?
If you missed the beginning you can still jump in now. Here is the complete guide.
If you want a PDF for printing: 30 Day Challenge Wild Wonder Nature Journaling
