Lost In Wonder
Nature is infinite and wonderful. This month we will find things to delight us and get lost in them. Also a bit about my plans for this space.
Dearest Reader,
First I’d like to thank you for subscribing. It’s been two months on this platform and I’m so grateful you’ve welcomed me into your inbox (and browser)! After spending the last eight weeks figuring out what Substack is capable of in relation to my mission to share my delight in nature and demonstrate nature journaling, my goal for this space has expanded.
Starting this month I’m introducing themes in a long post on or around the first of every month followed by theme-related prompts every week on Friday to help you with your own nature journal practice.
If you’ve subscribed only to see nature journal pages and natural history illustrations, there will be plenty of that, too. In addition to the pages I share in the monthly theme post, I’ll post more pages mid-month.
Thank you so much for sticking around thus far. And if you are enjoying Cricklewood, I’d appreciate it if you would share this post with three friends. The more, the merrier!
Now let’s begin this month’s post!
April’s Theme: Lost In Wonder
If you’ve spent any time with young children, you know to them everything is new and miraculous. Every day is filled with discoveries. I’ve always tried to maintain that sense of wonder, but over and over I’ve had to try to find it again. (Adulting can sometimes suck the wonder right out of you, right?)
Nature journaling, for me at least, is an efficient way to renew wonder. Every time I take an excursion with my sketchbook in hand, stress dissipates and I never fail to discover something new. Wonder is abundant when you observe and draw nature, and even if I’m drawing a subject again I always find something I didn’t see before.
Wonder, inspired by nature, can be found anywhere.
I don’t think you must live in a rural or wild place to find wonder. I lived for 10 years in Philadelphia. I found nature in the sidewalk cracks, abandoned parking lots, and birds roosting on light posts, too.
Wonder can be found in your grocery bag each week - fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs - all are ready subjects for the pages of your nature journal, and ones I’ve turned to in the winter when a blizzard derails my outdoor plans.
You don’t even have to leave your house. Your pets are a rich source of wonder as well. I’ve learned much about feline behavior watching them stalk each other across the living room!
It starts with curiosity.
Curiosity begets engagement, and when you are engaged with a subject you become filled with wonderment.
Observe, Question, and Connect
John Muir Laws, an advocate of nature journals for the 21st-century naturalist, teaches a technique I find very useful when approaching any subject for my journal: I notice, I wonder, It reminds me of. It’s a framework to observe subjects deeply. And now I’m going to teach it to you!
I Notice (observe)
Start by saying aloud or in your head and writing down anything you observe about your subject: structure, color, behavior, interactions, etc.
For example, I spy a chickadee in a pine tree on my walk and stop to observe. I may notice that as I get closer, his birdcall becomes shrill (and I back away a bit). I notice that his head, eyes, and neck are an inky black, his head and belly feathers appear to have a downy texture while his wing feathers are crisper. I can see that his body is round and when the wind gusts he sits on his feet so I only see the tips of his talons. I notice that when another species of bird gets too close he chases them off the branch. I notice his wing span is roughly 6 or 7 times his body width. And on and on.
I Wonder (question)
Begin asking questions. You don’t have to know the answers. The point is to write them down. You may be able to answer them with further observation. Sometimes you’ll need to do a bit of research. The point is to fire up your curiosity. And if questions aren’t coming to you, use the prompt “I wonder…”
For example, I wonder if this chickadee is protecting a nest in that tree. I wonder what function wing spans have in the act of flying. I wonder if he used his wing span to intimidate the other bird. I wonder where he sleeps at night during the winter.
It Reminds Me Of (connect)
Here is where you begin making connections. The more you nature journal, the more you build up your knowledge bank. Connections will start to happen. So ask yourself, is this something you’ve observed in another context? Is it similar to something you’ve studied before? Is the behavior similar to another bird? Can you make an analogy that ties to this new observation?
It’s in the connections that your interest deepens, your knowledge widens, and your appreciation for this glorious biosphere we share swells.
Get lost in wonder
Record your findings. Make notes, sketches, color studies, schematics - anything that will help you express your findings while doing the “I notice, I wonder, It reminds me of” exercise. Immerse yourself in this experience of discovery, and let it spill over into your next observation. Let yourself marvel at the beauty, synchronicity, and elegantly ingenious simplicity of the natural world. I promise you, the wonder will never end!
So this month, let’s take some time to simply observe, question, and connect with our habitats. In accordance with Cricklewood’s mission, this month’s prompts are a foundation for further nature journaling and include information about supplies for field trips, observational sketching tips, and activities to apply “I notice, I wonder, It reminds me of” in the field.
Have fun! Post in the comments with your own suggestions and stories about your experiences of getting lost in wonder.
Till next time!
xo Susannah
Love the dandelions and tree roots.