Hi and welcome to those of you who are new to my newsletter! Each month I write a newsletter to share gentle creative ideas rooted in nature, and to let you know about upcoming workshops and ways to make art regularly.
February can feel like a month of waiting. The skies are often grey, the colours muted and change can seem slow. In a funny way, I find this actually makes it a particularly good time to keep a nature journal. When there’s less that immediately catches the eye, I have to slow down and look more carefully.
The snowdrops and daffodils pushing through the ground, or the bright green of hazel catkins, are easy to miss at first. But once I begin to really look, these quieter changes start to stand out — and I begin to notice more each time I go back.
One thing I’ve learned through keeping a regular nature journal, is that noticing is a creative skill that strengthens with use, just like drawing or painting. Careful looking underpins good artwork, but it also brings something else with it. In months like February, when energy and mood can dip, spending time noticing small changes outdoors can feel particularly supportive — slowing things down and helping me feel more connected to something bigger, something eternal.
This is something I see often in workshops too. As people take the time to really look, their confidence in drawing grows and many also comment on how calm and steady the process feels.
Why not try nature journalling this spring?
If you’re curious to explore this alongside others, my nature journalling workshops offer time, space and guidance to practise this way of seeing together. We spend time looking closely at the small changes around us, practicing simple drawing and observation techniques, and building confidence through regular, low-pressure creative practice.
Whether you’re new to journalling or have been keeping a sketchbook for a while, these sessions provide a supportive space to slow down, notice, and create alongside others who enjoy doing the same.
I have two workshops coming up where you can try this — all materials are provided, and no prior experience is needed.
Other workshops booking now:
Other ways to notice creatively in February.
- Train your noticing skills – You could try returning to the same place regularly – maybe a tree you pass or a path you often walk down. Taking a longer moment to pause and look carefully then recording what you see with one sentence, small drawing or a photograph could help you to capture changes.
- Take part in citizen science – The Woodland Trust’s Nature’s Calendar is the largest phenology database in the UK. You can contribute your own data by looking out for specific signs of the changing seasons and uploading your records. This month look out for lesser celandine, nest-building blackbirds and the first butterflies of the year.
- Enjoy the snowdrops – Wentworth Woodhouse has such an impressive display that they hold a Snowdrop Festival this month.
If you enjoy gentle creative ideas, nature-based inspiration, and invitations to slow art workshops in Sheffield, you’re very welcome to stay subscribed — and to share this with anyone who might enjoy making a little more space for creativity.
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