From nature walk to journal page

The observer just uses their senses to take in their surroundings while on a nature outing, not bringing any items other than themselves.

If you've stepped out unprepared, or just want to go for a walk with nothing to burden you, then you can still transform the walk into a creative nature journal page later. It all depends on what you notice (and remember). Here are some ideas for what to do as an observer:

• Let whatever catches your attention be your guide
• Cycle through all of your senses to maximise what you notice at any point in time
• Go for an 'awe walk' and purposefully seek out something that strikes a sense of awe in you
• Choose a colour and find things along your walk that match it
• Notice what's changed from last time you were here, or anything new
• Remark and remember any questions, special moments and discoveries - perhaps even saying it out loud as this can aid your memory

The photographer has a camera or phone with them to use as a memory aid and recording device, or even to enhance their vision.

Although journaling from life will give the most accurate, in-the-moment record, it is not always easy or possible to do so. Taking photos in order to journal from them later is very useful, however, try to avoid relying on photos as a crutch, or to let it take you away from being in the moment.

Photos are handy if you are short for time and wish to journal later when it's more suitable (e.g. due to poor weather). They are also great if you find you forget half of what you saw, or would like to record more detail - in other words when you don't want to rely on just memory. Ultimately though, you will lose some information from no longer being in direct contact with the moment.

• If you can remember, then aim to go for a variety of shots as this will add interest to your page. So go for the animal portraits or macro shots, but also take some photos 'zoomed out' from the scene or landscape, or 'zoomed in' to look at texture and details.
• Use video to record sounds, events or fast subjects
• Take multiple photos at different angles, sometimes one might not show everything or be a blur
• Contextual information or signs can be useful memory aids, so take photos of them too, and
• Remember to include yourself!

The sketcher carries a small journal and writing tool, ready to make marks at a moment's notice and is prepared to move on quickly.

Even if you're mostly moving there is still the possibility of taking quick sketches and notes. They might not be very detailed or look good, but would let you capture lots of information, beyond the audio-visual. In a way these are field notes - intended as a memory aid. Don't worry about it being messy, as turning it into something more pleasing comes later.

• As with the photographer it helps to note a variety of information so that what goes on the page later is of greater interest.
• Remember to use all your senses and noting metadata helps to gather relevant information at a different scale and context.
• Focus on quantity over quality - many sketches or notes will help more than detailed shading or colouring (for example don't colour in but add a colour spot instead to refer to later)

If the route you took is your focus then make the map the main feature element on the page. You can use simple colouring and icons to mark other important features.

• Include notes or images around the edges showcasing what you observed along the way.
• Indicate north, the direction of travel and significant times of sightings or stops along the way. This is a simple, linear way of telling the story of the walk.
• One pitfall is to not leave enough space to include everything on the page. To avoid this, layout the map and other elements first before pencilling it in, moving them around and deciding on size. You can do this with cut-outs, thumbnail sketches or digitally. Planning first will save you significant time and heartache by avoiding disappointment later.
• Create a key or legend for the icons you've used on the map

If you encountered something awesome (such as from an awe walk), or want to highlight one subject in particular, then make that the main feature element on the page. Annotate with notes or other smaller images around it, or keep the page minimal to really make your find stand out.

This layout could also work well for an unknown discovery, surrounded by questions and hypotheses, leaving room for later research notes.

Did a series of events happen that require a story to be told? If you'd rather write about your experience than include lots of drawing then this is a simple approach. You can journal long-hand and include a few images as supporting elements.

Or condense the experience into a poem, perhaps based on what you observed for each sense?

A comic could also work for those who prefer a graphical storytelling mode.

If you found many items of interest or followed a theme (for example matching to a colour) then a collage or collection page might work best. There is no main focus here, rather everything has roughly equal size and importance on the page and can be distributed randomly. Play around with layout to create an aesthetic composition first for best results.

• Create boxes or small frames for each to avoid the page becoming overcrowded or busy which makes it hard for the eyes to settle.
• Draw arrows or have a line flowing from one item to the next to help with guiding the eye across the page.