Hi everyone, and welcome to the July newsletter. I write these each month to share seasonal reflections from nature and gentle ideas for sustaining a regular creative practice. You’ll also find details of upcoming workshops and a few seasonal invitations to help you notice, connect and create.

July is a really wonderful month – so full of life. The hedgerows are overflowing, butterflies and insects buzz amongst the flowers, and the moorland heather begins to bloom. It can feel as though summer will last forever.

But even now there are little changes to notice. The fields begin to turn golden where they’ve been mown, the first blackberries start to ripen, and tiny acorns are forming on the oak trees. I don’t want to sound as though I’m wishing summer away, in fact the opposite! I think it’s because I love this time of year so much that I notice these small reminders that it won’t last forever.

However much we’d like to, we can’t really hold on to summer. The only way I know how is by slowing down, paying attention and recording what I’m seeing in my nature journal. Looking back through old journals, I don’t just remember what I drew – I remember where I was, what caught my eye, and how it felt to be there. For me, that’s one of the real joys of keeping a regular creative practice. It helps me appreciate the season more fully while I’m living it, and gives me something to return to long after it’s gone.

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Learn to Nature Journal this autumn…

If you’d like to spend some time slowing down and really noticing the season, my next Nature Journalling workshop takes place in October. Whether you’re completely new or have been keeping a journal for years, we’ll spend time observing, drawing and recording the small details that make each season unique.

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Notice • Connect • Create this July….

🌿 Notice

Visit a local meadow while it’s at its summer best. Green Estate’s Marvellous Meadows event (Sunday 5th July @ Sheffield Manor Lodge) is a wonderful opportunity to discover Sheffield’s wildflower meadows and the wildlife they support.

🤝 Connect

If you’re looking for something a little different this month, the Crossed Wires Podcast Festival is a chance to hear fascinating conversations, discover new ideas and connect with Sheffield’s creative community.

🎨 Create

Collect a few different grasses on a walk and experiment with printing them using ink pads. How many different textures and shapes can you find?

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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.