Learn to nature journal and find inspiration here. Subscribe to see British nature, learn about nature journaling processes, and watch my journals grow. I also upload videos on botanical ink making, foraging for art, and flower/leaf pressing and preservation.
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Your work and books that are all hand done is a great inspiration. All the nice hand writing to describe the nature you have captured with artistic beauty. These books are priceless. I so love your work. Thank you for sharing.
I think it’s brave of you to get out of your comfort zone and talk about a difficult topic. I thoroughly enjoy your videos, and I’d love to see you have a walk and discussion- though I’m all for you talking about the environment and green issues, and all the artistic things, maybe even the natural history of your area (I do love the fossils). And I wish you good luck on your Buddhist journey! I’m looking forward to your next video 😊
Thank you - those are all great ideas. I am struggling to find time to make videos this summer but RU-vid is prominent in my plans for autumn and next year so I will write these down 🙂
I love lotus blu notebooks. I saw that one on her website this morning but it’s sold out. So pretty. Her books are so pretty but I never buy because my skills are elementary and I don’t want to ruin it with my art.
Her stuff sells so fast - I often see things I like but they are gone by the time I can afford them 😅 I understand your fears but you can do some great things with these that don't require "art" as such. I enjoyed staining all the pages in this book, and perhaps you could write in there. In the meantime, develop your art in another book that you can be less precious about 😁
Wow... The years of exploration. I took a lot of your advice after integrating the twelve-pack that I purchased. I also took into account the color pallette I have been using in my other work. Thank you for sharing.
Dear Alex, it makes me sad that you are suffering and I wish there were a medicine to heal your pain and a salve to cover your wounds. But while we have not yet invented a guaranteed product to cure anxiety and heartache, you clearly are taking steps towards recovery - your awareness, the courage to speak, and your spiritual engagement tell me that you are not letting a climate of increasing politicized hatred get you down. It was your kindness that drew me to your Nature Journaling videos. It was your connection with the ancient forest and your dedication to the cliffs, the rocks, the sand, the water, that kept me watching. It is you, the person, whom I admire and respect. You bring us closer to Mother Earth and show us how to express ourselves in our desire to depict, understand, and support nature. I feel severe discomfort when I see the direction a growing part of our population is taking; I see more unrest and more polarization. More pain. As an old person I don’t have the luxury to believe that I will outlive the trend, and so I concentrate on the bright spots in my present life. And you, young man, are definitely a bright spot in my life. ❤️
Hi Gisela - well I am not suffering so much anymore after positing this video and having received so many beautiful, kind comments from the community. It was very important for me to speak now, and I am very glad I did. Thank you for such a lovely comment, I appreciate your every word and I am grateful to be a bright spot in your life 😊
I have enjoyed your all your videos, but this one made me so sad. My oldest grandchild is transgender. I love him unconditionally and I worry over what the future holds for him. Be yourself. You are a beautiful and talented person. Sending much love your way. 🌈♥️
Thank you for your lovely comment - I hope your grandchild will be able to go through his transition happily and find joy on the other side. It is tough at the earlier stages, but it does become a lot easier ❤️
While I can't quite put this across as eloquently as you Alex (he's the better half!) I just want to say how bloody proud I am of you for putting this video out there. Because I know how damn hard it was for you to do this. When you're at your highest, you change the world one new inspired nature journaler at a time. When you're at your lowest, you come on here and re-read all of these comments about you. Because you need to see how much of a positive impact you're making on people and nature. It's invaluable to remind yourself of this when the world is horrible and depressing. You are loved.Cuddles waiting when you get home.
What a brave and thought-provoking video - and how sad that in 2024 you still feel that you had to make it. I absolutely believe that everyone has the right to live their life as they feel happiest, regardless of gender, religion or colour and that this can best be achieved by acceptance and mutual respect. You definitely have my respect for talking openly about your experiences and also for being who you are as an artist and environmentalist. I hope that life for LGBTQ+ people in the UK (and elsewhere) improves to the point that videos like this are no longer necessary and I shall do my best to help bring this about by being open in my support. You have so much to give to the world and should take great pride (no pun intended) in what you have already achieved ❤
Thank you so much for your kind comment. I hope that one day it does all die down again - it is very dramatic how much the nastiness increased after about 2019. I just want to focus on the nature stuff, but the constant transphobic noise in the media hasn't been fun. All the lovely comments here help me see the world isn't so dark 😊
I already think you're one of the coolest people in the nature journal community, Alex. Now, I admire you even more. Thank you and major props for talking about your identity. That takes incredible courage in a world that is still filled with far too much bigotry. It makes me angry to think of you and any other friends and family being treated this way and having to defend something so basic as being yourself. I know it's been bad here in the U.S. - I didn't know you were facing this in the U.K. too. :( Big hugs to you. ~Yvea (she/they) - used to being IDed as 'she' but self-identify primarily as agender.
Hi Yvea, I didn't realise you were agender, so happy pride 🏳️🌈 Yeah, it has gotten so bad in the UK that it is getting a bit of a reputation in Europe as being a transphobic country, which is a real shame! It never used to be this unkind here, or at least, bigoted people were less loud about it. Thanks for sharing about your identity as well, you are very cool too! 💚
@@AlexBoonArt I hadn’t known there was a term for how I identify until the pandemic. Though sometimes I question whether I’m agender or genderfluid. I don’t talk about it much, because I’m still figuring it out, and a few folks still ID me as female even after I’ve told them. In any case, thank you for being someone I can share my identity with. Happy Pride to you too, my friend! 🏳️🌈
Alex, thanks for this thoughtful, beautiful and honest video. As a person who doesn't belong to the LGBTQ+ community, I am always interested to hear more, to kind of understand more from the inside, about what it's like for people to live in our society who don't belong to the dominant demographic. It's so important for me and other "straight" people to hear how things are for our fellow humans. Thank you for sharing your experiences and thoughts, and thank you for the trust you have in your online community. You expressed everything beautifully as usual. I deeply regret that our society as a whole (in Canada too) has to politicize the experience and life of some of us in a way that puts on pressure, shines a light that may not be welcome, and prevents people from just being happy, ordinary people living their lives. It seems to kind of take away your right to ordinary, private happiness without having to justify yourselves. I belong to the dominant culture, and no one is saying things about me (except occasional people ranting publicly about Pagans, which is not nearly so intense or intrusive as what you're experiencing). I hope the climate will change... part of the fuel for change will come from sharing experience as you are doing in this video. Though of course it puts you "out there" in a more intense way, too. Thanks for your courage in making this video. Please know you are respected and loved by people who follow you; you have added so much to others' lives and experiences with your warm and generous drive to share your love for nature, your love for art, your creative processes and your spiritual side. You're a beautiful, wonderful human being and the world is a better place for having you in it. Stay courageous Alex.
Thank you for your kind words. You express it exactly right, that most people just want to get on with their lives. I want to focus on my art/nature vocation and business in peace, without feeling under pressure because of the political climate. It is a distraction that I just don't want. I am certainly going to get on with what I like doing now that I have made this video and spoken out, it needed to be done and your words explain why perfectly. Thank you for being a great ally 😊
Thank you for sharing your story Alex, your loved and I will always support you! 🏳️🌈 Edit oh and I really enjoyed the walk and talk it was excellent to get to know you more and I could see that being an excellent way to make some content (other topics :) )
Total respect to you in opening up. I'd guessed you were gay but not trans...but that in no way has any bearing or alters my opinion of you as a human. In my world, kindness to others and caring about nature are the defining attributes I look for in others....sad you felt the need to make this video, the world can be a cruel place sometimes
Thank you Kaz 😊 I needed to make the video and feel so much better that I did, all the comments have been wonderful and I will return to them if I ever feel down about this.
Love the illustrations and the massive fossil you showed. Thanks for explaining these things that I don’t thoroughly understand but happy you have found your life partner. As a woman I feel I am more understood on some level by gay and transgender…think along the same lines…it shouldn’t be a big deal. My children and grandchildren need to be true to themselves, as do everyone’s children and grandchildren. Yes environmental issues are my focus. We are very much on the same page…❤
I am Tasmanian and not aware of all that goes on in England. Tasmania was one of Australia’s last state to accept queer people. Very sad but we got there.
Yes, that's exactly it. Just not a big deal but other people make it a big deal. For me, it is just like any other medical process I have had to go through (and there are others) and once the hard bit was done, I wasn't expecting any more drama... and yet... Thanks for your comment, glad that Tasmania did get there in the end 🏳️🌈
Sending compassion, acceptance and hugs your way. Growing up near San Francisco gender has never been an issue that I worried about, just being a good person is all that matters and when you find love, you deserve it for yourself. I just want to be on the beach with you finding ammonites, and journaling the wildflowers and tide pools. I think everyone in the world has self esteem issues, value yourself, love yourself, be yourself. Thank you for sharing your love of nature with everyone.
Well said Alex. It's so sad that you're being made to feel stressed and anxious about being a trans man. You are obviously a brave and talented person with so much to offer the world. I hope you receive all the support and compassion that you deserve in order to feel valued and to fully love yourself. ❤
Hi Alex, you are such a wonderful person all around, and I'm sorry you've been having a hard time with things lately in the UK. (Well, you know how crazy the U.S. always is, seriously, on so many levels, especially with this being a Presidential election year, but enough about that!). Thank you for being so open and for sharing your story. Yes, I have and support all LGBTQ+ people in my circle of family, friends, and co-workers. I'll admit that I don't always understand all of the terminology and what the transitions entail, but I believe each person is a human being who deserves respect, to be treated with kindness, and to live free from harassment or any kind of intimidation. /// You have so much to offer the world, and I have learned so much from you over the past year. I would like to see more of these videos, whatever the topic. A walk-and-talk is a great idea! I hope you do stick with creating some RU-vid videos, amidst all of your other projects! Even shorter videos are much appreciated and can lead to more subscribers and monetization of your channel. /// I wish you well, Alex, and please do love yourself as we all love you. Take care and we'll still be your tried-and-true fans and friends! Happy Pride Month!💜💙💚💛🧡❤🌈
Hi Cyndi, thank you for your lovely comment. It's the same here, we have a general election this July and apparently trans people are one of the "big issues facing the country" or something or other, I don't know! Will be nice once the election stuff goes away. I am definitely going to make more walk videos, on different topics. They are fun to film and get me out of the house. I mean to make more RU-vid videos but have struggled to find time, even shorter videos take a long time to edit. Hopefully I will be able to do more regular ones next year 🙏😊
Thank you so much for your bravery, Alex, I am so incredibly sorry it has become this horrible in the UK… Sending you and the whole community lots of love and strength ❤
Your own Pride Walk was a very powerful and open conversation with us out here in RU-vid land. Pride is certainly needed and always should be a joyous celebration of humanity. Your work in the Nature Journaling community is so important and needed by everyone. And your kindness, teaching style and enjoyable videos make my day each time I watch.
Thank you so much 🙏 I was very reticent about pride in the past, because I didn't feel I had any. I wanted to just blend in and not be noticed, but now I realise that pride isn't about being noticed - it is about self-love. So I am doing more to embrace it 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing your story. Your frustration at the political context meaning you are needing to divert energy to justify existing is so beautifully articulated and makes so much sense. By sharing your experience in your work/professional sphere you hold the door open for anyone who has experienced structural discrimination of any kind to bring our stories with us to work in the environmental sector. Doing this is not a distraction - it is naming a distraction: the constant additional work of negotiating a space to thrive. Sending you best wishes and thanks for sharing your story and experience. 🌈
Thank you. That is exactly why I needed to do this video, otherwise I am not representing at all, I am pretending not to be affected by something, which is not good for a person's mental health. Great thoughts, you've articulated what I was trying to achieve with this video very well 🙂
Thank you so much for speaking up about this. I am a Buddhist and gay non-binary person who identifies as they/them here in America. The political situation is not much better over here luv. Your honest, no-nonsense approach to this is a breath of fresh air and a testament to us all. Sending you lots of love from across the pond, Namo Buddhaya 😊🙏🧡
I know, America and the UK seem to be pretty similar in the way this is being handled, at least recently. It is very nice to hear from another Buddhist person in the community 🙏🙂
Yep overlapping, but I could bring the circles closer and I also have that book! 🙏💚 I'm struggling with the prospect of radiation treatment and all the miserable side effects. I was painting before being diagnosed a couple of months ago. I had left my job and was minding cats in a gorgeous old house in a picturesque country town. It was a lovely arty house with the kind of clutter that's inspiring and the sunroom and back courtyard were full of character. Now I'm staying with family recovering from surgery and it's a conventional house but happily there is a track through the gum trees that leads to a pine forest, so I walk there most days. I don't know what my life ahead will be but I hope getting back to painting and drawing the beauty around me will help give me uplifting thoughts and might become a way to earn a side income in the future. 🙏💚
I wish you all the best with your recovery and I hope that some gentle nature journaling will get you back on track. Be kind to yourself and take it slow, especially with regard to income as that does put pressure on it. Go well and enjoy your creative walking 🙏🙂
Having followed you for many years and knowing how kind and generous you are to your nature journaling community I find it strange that anyone could then decide to not like you anymore for opening up about your personal connection with being GTQ. I know it happens but shouldn't the person, ie you, be defined by more than just being gay or trans? I've known you to have been gay for as long as I followed you, you've never hidden it but also haven't made it what defines you. I respect you for making this video and for also making nature and nature conservation your main priority. I'm not sure if this makes any sense at all it's currently 2am and I can't sleep 😅 Take care Alex and know that I'll always support you 🥰
Thanks Sarah, this comment is so appreciated 💚💚 It can be very hard to want to make a statement like this because I hated being "the trans guy" when I was more visible, and I would hate it now. I would rather be "the nature art guy" you know? Hopefully that won't happen - but it certainly could be worse. I have found that pretending not to be trans and just blending in doesn't make me less trans - if you see what I mean. This was definitely the best course of action. Thank you for your support 🙏🙂
I appreciate your courage and sharing. I completely support and respect you. I adore your work and your message. Please know you are appreciated and valued. Keep up the amazing work you are doing. Much love from across the pond.
Thank you so much for all you do day to day helping us connect with nature with kindness. I’m so deeply sorry you and others experience such toxicity. Please know that you are appreciated and admired for who you are and what you do. Thank you for speaking up. Please be kind to yourself and gentle to yourself too just as you are with others. Sending lots of love and respect! ❤️
Thank you for your lovely comment 🙏🙂 I am trying to learn self-compassion, and this was an important step in that direction. It is not an easy skill, but I know it is something that can be achieved with practice.
Thank you for sharing your story and your insights, Alex. Here in the United States, there is so much hatred and vitriol aimed at LGBTQIA+ people. Being part of the LGBTQIA+ community myself, it's so distressing sometimes even though I live in what's considered a more "progressive" state. I'm so happy you found Buddhism and yoga and nature journaling on your healing path. Much love to you.
Thank you for your lovely words, I am glad you are in a more progressive state and I hope the distress can be minimised or soothed by some activity like art, yoga, nature journaling. Whatever it is for you, it helps. Much solidarity 🏳️🌈 🙏🙂
Thank you so much Alex. These are very hard times. I'm moved by your courage in speaking out. I rarely leave comments anywhere on the internet , but do today to add my voice to others who believe in kindness, acceptance and celebration of everyone as they are. I'm really grateful for your generosity as an artist, and now as a trans man. Sending you love from Australia.
Thank you for taking us on your personal Pride Nature Walk and Talk. It is distressing to have you and too many others hurt for any reason, especially for just being yourself/themselves. Knowing that this effects you allows us to express our support for and appreciation of you individually and for the Pride collective. I hope that in having shared so publicly, you will experience, hear, and hold dear the respect, appreciation, and love that so many have for you. You are seen. You are heard. You are respected. Oh and somebody, somewhere is nature journaling the walk.
Thank you for taking me along on your walk and talk Alex; I had a great time and respect your honesty and courage. It was my sense of your kindness that drew me to your work and has inspired me to want to reconnect in a meaningful way with the world we live in. And to reconnect with the little boy version of me and his wonder and creativity. Growing up gay during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s was a difficult time for queer people too and I covered up and left that ‘wonder-full’ boy behind. I’m ashamed that some in the UK seem to have switched scapegoating onto the trans community; I want that to stop and I will be taking part in two pride celebrations/processions this year for the first time in a long time! Happy Pride Alex! Oh, and yes please, more walks and talks, maybe around environmental issues? 🌈❤️
I love your videos and so wish you weren't contending with so much. As the mother of a gay adult child I so feel for you. No matter what, I love my children and only desire happiness for them. Just be you. You're so talented and have so much to offer the world. ❤🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
