How to Be a Wildflower: A Field Guide

by Katie Daisy

A fresh perspective, an outdoor exploration, a new adventure about to begin: How to Be A Wildflower is the book to celebrate these and other wide-open occasions. Encouraging self-discovery through encounters with nature, beloved artist Katie Daisy brings her beautiful paintings and lettering to this collection of things to do and make, quotes, meditations, natural history, and more.

• Maintains wonder and inspiration with a collection of peaceful pages filled with things such as a prompt to hike by the light of the moon, a recipe to make rhubarb pie, and a place to press flowers
• Features stunning and whimsical illustrations to fill you with serene and calming thoughts that inspire a closer relationship with the world around you
• Katie Daisy is an artist whose work captures the essence of living with nature and How to Be a Wildflower is a glowing example of that

"For pure whimsy, you just can't beat How to Be a Wildflower: A Field Guide by Katie Daisy. The Bend, Oregon, artist brings her beautiful paintings and lettering to this delightful book, a collection of nature-inspired quotations, meditations, lore, and even a recipe for fresh strawberry-rhubarb pie." —Traditional Home

For every wild and free spirit—and those who aspire to bemdash;this is a field guide to living life to the fullest.

• Every page inside the charming two-piece case invites readers to wonder, gather, savor, and ponder the natural world around them.
• Makes a great coffee table book and a starter to interesting and motivational conversations.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Art, Poetry, Self Help, Inspirational, Plants

208 pages, Hardcover

First published February 23, 2016

About the author

Katie Daisy was raised by the birds and warm breezes of small-town Lindenwood, Illinois, brought up among the other wildflowers with roots planted deeply in the natural world.

She found her voice and honed her skills at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, graduating in 2009 and subsequently beginning an adventurous career as a freelance illustrator. She sells high-quality prints through her website & Etsy shop, and has licensed her work for a wide-reaching variety of products. Working in watercolor and acrylic paint as well as mixed media materials, Katie strives to capture the magic and beauty of a life lived in harmony with nature.

Katie currently lives and works in a house along the river, along with her husband, Eli, and 3 year old, Finn. She carries the prairie with her, seeking to experience and reveal ever-more fully the wonders of the natural world, to savor the simple joys of life, and to help others do the same. ♥

Reviews

[Sarah Arwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 can confirm that this book is GORGEOUS
It isn't a book to read maybe so much as a book to live in and those are nice kinds of books.
Bonus: effect is magnified if absorbed while listening to Jonsi's We Bought a Zoo soundtrack ahhh
To adventures and finding magic everywhere!<3

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favorite book! Every page was beautiful and light. It made we want to run outside in a field of wildflowers and trek through the woods ♡♡♡

[Kemunto Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the polaroid picture in the first page. The rest of the book doesn’t have much to it. The artwork is beautiful, and yeah that’s it. It’s not an encyclopedic book, but it’s still good I think.

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is more of a dear keepsake than a novel. It's full of lovely things, ideas and inspiration. It calls me back to my childhood, where much of my life was spent outdoors running through the woods and wild, untamed plains, making adventures from tree heights and creek ends. In those days, a daisy crown was the finest, most beloved accessory and a handful of pretty stones a great treasure, or quest reward. The memories from my childhood are a sanctuary to me, and traveling back to them from time to time is healing. This book can uncover the sights and smells of my memories so easily, and I find something kindred in a soul who cherishes their childhood as I did, who walked away from it maintaining their imagination and own personal sense of magic. To me, the individual who can still look on the world with eyes of wonder, the individual who can still find magic, is a rare, beautiful, appreciated thing, and while commonly misunderstood as immaturity, in actuality reveals a deep, pleantiful mind and a heart as vast and colorful as the fields of my youth.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem! A beautiful tapestry of nostalgia and wanderlust, this book is a journal/scrapbook filled with charming artwork, scraps of poetry, quotes, and recipes. Definitely recommend to anyone with a healthy sense of fernweh and a love for nature. My personal favorite has to be "How to Evoke a Daydream," but I also look forward to making the lavender syrup! A perfect read to feel calm and at peace.

P.S. Although I got this at the library, if you purchase the book from Katie Daisy or her Etsy store, you receive lots of lovely extras such as seeds, handmade bookmarks, and pressed flowers.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is full of gorgeous images and quotes, a few recipes (highly recommend the bath, I’ve been using similar recipes for years), and a few blurbs for inspiration on exploring nature. However, there wasn’t a lot of substance to it- I’d say this would make a lovely gift, but not to be used as any sort of practical guide on adventuring off into the wilderness. I enjoyed flipping through it and it definitely made me smile at many points! 5 stars for the imagery and mood-changing daydreamy atmosphere it provided for me, but overall a 3 or so for the lack of true material.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 stars for the artwork, 4 stars for suggested activities and 2 stars for the quotations and actual substance.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the whimsical vibe and the lovely artwork of these books. I want to channel my energy into being a wildflower instead of a person please and thank you. It's a lovely reminder of the joys of spring and summer, and as someone who prefers the cool/cold days more than the warm ones, it's a gentle reminder to try and enjoy these coming days as well.

[Ehryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katie Daisy has some amazing and thought provoking insights into the natural world and how to fully enjoy it. I loved all the prompts and will definitely be using my book to press flowers and draw and create. Her art is inspiring.

[Ainay · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG THE ART??? THE COLOR??? THE TYPOGRAPHY??? I WANT TO HAVA THE PHYSICAL COPY 😭😭😭

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 3 out of 5]

How to Be a Wildflower is a book of illustrated inspiration centering on elements of nature.

[Wardah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five stars for illustration.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book of quotes, recipes and guides for getting outside and enjoying nature around you. A lovely gift book for nature-loving friends. It made me want to get out and explore. As I was reading it, I thought this woman doesn't have small children only to find she has a young child who was born in the middle of the project. Maybe she'll put out another book on being wild flowers as a family as many of the suggestions on this book are for solitary exploration.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was given to me by a kind work colleague with the words, "I thought of your line of work and how some days you could use some sunshine ..." I enjoyed this little read, turning every page was a delight for the visual senses and certainly gave some lovely ideas for finding balance and appreciating the natural wonderment of our world. Thankyou dear friend.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute and lovely book of wonder, adventure, and beauty. I love this type of stuff. The quotes and paintings were so pretty and magical. This was a fast read and the images from this artist inspire a love of nature and simple beauty. Recommended for nature lovers, adventurers, and wanderers.

[Lara van Damme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice illustrations and it tickles your imagination but some activities aren’t realistic or really America based where I don’t live. I expected more guidelines than this book is giving you. But it made me happy and excited to wonder and explore.

[Stella · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations combined with dried flowers are very very beautiful though some of the contents are quite specific to United States. Nevertheless, gorgeous book.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

***There are some questionable activities- use caution when approaching these***

The Katie Daisy How To Be books are a replica of the nature-diaries that were at one time common in the UK although without the more realistoc artwork. At the same time she is from the American side of the pond so the species are a bit more common, especially as she was originally from the Midwest.

The book is put together in chapters that divide the day mostly into its portions of activities such as wander, gather, savor and ponder. In these sections readers will find heavy quotes from other authors and poets, lists, graphic starter guides and various lists. Very randomly are added different activities to do like make a moon garden or recipes like edible stardust for those who don't mind tapping into their natural sides.

The book does have a brief safety section and there are also lots of warnings throughout but some activities aren't given the same consideration. Furthermore this book is more quotes and sayings while less activities and recipes unlike How To Be A Moonflowrt.

What the book is best for is its beautifully done artwork even if some of it is abstract or the colors aren't just right. And unfortunately since do much focus is put on the artwork, some of the bigger spread illustrations are in the crack of the spine thus making it hard to see details and/or read the text for the piece. And at one point for lunar phases the new moon was shown as being the same as a full moon.

All in all it is an okay read for nature quotes but not much more.

[Julie Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this in the free bin in the library when I made a pit-stop on my way to enjoy a day at Pixley Falls. So while my son and his friend played in the water, I sat and read this book all the way through. It's whimsical, nature-loving Sark-like hippy stuff. The art is just the kind that I like, and it made me smile and warmed me from within. There were also some useful basic recipes for things like lavender lemonade and your own bath salts and stuff, and this would be a perfect graduation gift for a girl to encourage her to go climb mountains, explore forests, discover waterfalls, and identify mushrooms and leaves. Very surface-level stuff--do not use this in lieu of a real field guide! Just inspirational life-worship: very happy-making.

[Abbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katie Daisy's artwork is beautiful, as are her words as she describes adventure in the nature all around us. The kind of book you can sit down with a cup of coffee with and dive right in. I started it and finished it this evening, it's a book you can admire repeatedly I am sure. While reading it I thought: "Someday when I have kids, I hope they are in the presence of books like these, that will inspire them to be wanderers and wonderers, brave explorers and creative souls."

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book in less than an hour. It had beautiful quotes and the artwork is unbelievably perfect. There are a few recipes that look delicious and it touches upon crystals, spirit animals, types of wildflowers, and little bucket list items you should try and achieve. I am in awe of this book and I can't wait to pass my book down as a gift to someone who needs a little bit of wonderment in their life. Absolutely recommend for the artwork itself.

[Emily]

Very beautiful artwork and very relatable to my time spent in nature, but it gets very iffy when she starts quoting Laura Ingalls Wilder and talks about building teepees and finding your spirit animal- especially when there is no acknowledgement of the indigenous peoples who belong to the land/to whom the land belongs to when talking about its value, beauty, and spiritual meaning.

[The Story Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful and inspirational book, full of lovely illustrations and quotes. It made me want to stop what I'm doing and just go out and spend some time out in nature. I wanted to include some images here, but not sure of the copyright issues with that, but check out her artwork on her website: https://www.katiedaisy.com/ and then check out this book! I loved it!

[Kat Cav · Rating 5 out of 5]

GORGEOUS book of art and little bits of wisdom from across the world of verse. I savored this little book over time, a couple pages here and there. It will stay on display on my side table to be picked up when I need a little pick me up.

[rae . *. ⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is actually really cute and wholesome but i will say it’s not really a book so much as a collection of pictures and quotes to flip through. i thought it was actually going to be about how to be a wildflower 😔

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

a beautiful and whimsical collection of art that made me want to go spend some time in nature, but overall didnt grasp me as much as I was hoping.

[Maya Gopalakrishnan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely illustrations and beautiful quotes. Can't wait to use them in my journal. The prompts didn't thrill me, the recipes were weird.

[Cindy Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations, playful journal prompts - perfect to flip through on a lovely afternoon while sipping tea

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like her art. Life philosophy, not so much, but I really just don’t regret owning her book. It’s a good place to visit.

[Jeannette · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book to read for its beautiful lettering and illustration. A breath of spring or summer in the middle of winter. Somewhat lacking substance but full of nature loving inspiring quotes.