Do you want to try nature journaling but don’t know where to start?

Not many spare moments in your day?

Here’s a simple, brief, but beautiful way to respond to nature: a Haiku.

A haiku is a type of Japanese poetry. There are many different forms of haiku, but it’s the traditional form I’m writing about here.

It consists of 3 lines, and each line has a certain number of syllables:

The first line has 5 syllables

The second line has 7 syllables, and

the third line has 5 syllables.

You can draw a little picture to go with your haiku, or you can just jot down the haiku.

Try to get inspiration from nature as your starting point. Ideally, spend some time outside, in nature. Slow down and try to become aware of all of your senses. e.g. Not just what you can see around you, but also the sounds you can hear, the sensation of wind or sun (or rain!) on your face, the feel of the earth beneath your feet.

Then, focus on something you’ve noticed. It might be a bird, it might be a plant, it might be a feeling within yourself. You might recall a memory that’s  bubbled up in this moment of quiet time outside.

Try to distill what you’re contemplating into the form of a haiku: 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables,

Curiously, often a constraint like this can unleash creativity, rather than squash it.

But perhaps most importantly, have a play with this, and have a bit of fun.