True Nature is an illustrated journal that traces the experience of stepping away from one’s familiar world and choosing to be alone. Over the course of a year, Barbara spent four week-long retreats in a cabin nestled deep in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. Mixing Buddhist sitting meditation with nature journaling, the resulting visual and verbal narrative traces the interest and boredom, the agitation and relaxation, the breakdowns and breakthroughs of time spent by oneself.
The grounding quality of sitting meditation, combined with the wide-ranging inquisitiveness of walking and drawing outdoors, coalesce into a strong voice of honesty, delight, and a unique freshness of experience, all of which is artfully complemented by Barbara’s watercolor sketches and handwritten text. True Nature explores one woman’s journey, individual and universal, and looks into the familiar experiences of loneliness and fear to discover a new acceptance and connection with the world.
"True Nature is a beautifully wrought, engagingly honest work: a don't-miss pick for nature lovers, spiritual practitioners, and anyone who's ever wondered what would really happen if they ever had time for themselves." Chronogram
