I’m only three months behind posting on my website. But a lot has happened in those three months, including the end of the Nature Journal Show! I posted about it on my Patreon page back in early December but have not updated here. It is a scary change for me because so much of my work, my online presence, and even my identity have been wrapped up into the show.
As many of you know, I have been making the Nature Journal Show for more than 5 years but only started calling them seasons part way through. It has been a labor of love. There are over 600 videos about nature journaling on my YouTube channel and that is something I can be proud of. If you have been supporting me on Patreon you can be proud of your part in that too.
What’s next?
The world of online content creation has always been precarious and often shallow but it is becoming worse. I’m grateful that social media and YouTube have allowed me to connect with many people but these online platforms can also limit creativity, effect mental health, and limit the value of what we provide for our fans and followers. They can force people like me to chase likes, follows, and superficial responses.
Maybe I’m just getting old and can’t handle the digital rat race anymore. Maybe I’m thinking more carefully about how I want to spend my remaining time on the planet. Or maybe … Whatever the case, I want to move away from all the digital shenanigans and refocus more on what is real, what is tangible, what has stood the test of time.
Books
What is something that has been around for thousands of years and allows you to listen to the wisest people in history? What is something that doesn’t require gas-guzzling data centers to hold information? Books. And guess what? Books don’t track your activity and report it to the government.
When I was a kid I didn’t imagine growing up and making videos online trying to amass followers. That wasn’t even a thing. When I was a kid I imagined making books. I wanted to make fascinating books full of images and stories. Since scaling back on making videos I have already made and self-published two illustrated books that I am very proud of. With the time and effort that went into making “Jaguar Journals” and “Kids in a Candy Shop” I probably could have made twenty five YouTube videos. Maybe some of those videos could have even gotten a thousand views. However, as an artist I am glad I chose these books. And for you I think this is a more unique and valuable product I can offer you. There are lots of videos online but how many books are there with live jaguars illustrated in the field?!
Get your copy of Kids in a Candy Shop
The Nature Journal Show Lives On
Another good thing to keep in mind is that those hundreds of videos are still alive and well on YouTube, they continue to be resources of ideas, inspiration, and empowerment for people around the world. Every day people are learning from them. Have you seen the compilation of best clips from 2025?
