Today we’d like to introduce you to Donna Coleman.
Hi Donna, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Well, really, I think it all started quite simply, growing up in the countryside. Most days I would be outside playing and exploring with my brother. Nature has always been a part of my life, and I grew up with the delight and wonder that it has always offered me. Nature has been a place for me to go to find peace, regain perspective, find joy and renewal, and feel close to God.
In that sense, there are many people who have experienced and feel the same. But over the past couple of years, there was a stirring within my heart to share my experiences more deeply with others. That was born out of recognizing what an incredible positive impact nature has had on my life: emotionally, mentally, and perhaps most importantly, spiritually. I think there are so many people who are longing for that, and who need that these days. Nature is a place where the language of beauty speaks, and where we can feel deeply connected and alive.
So I felt that the best way for me to start sharing that with others was simply by sharing my own personal reflections from my daily walks and the simple, regular outdoor experiences of my own life.
To do that, I officially formed The Joyful Bower. I knew from the start that I wanted it to be a place where everyone felt welcome, with no pressure, where people genuinely felt they were having a conversation or an encounter with a friend. Through my reflections, I wanted to offer encouragement and a reminder that beauty really is always ready and waiting to speak to us. And all we need to do is step outside our door.
Over the past year as readership has grown, I’ve had some beautiful messages from people, and that has caused me to feel even more strongly about how important it is to keep sharing and finding other ways to help people tap into and receive the amazing gifts available to each and every one of us through nature.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Ah! I would have to answer both no…and yes. Many years ago, it was really clear to me that I wanted to do two things: I wanted to be able to create art in some way, and also to help people. But at the time, I had absolutely no idea how to bring those two things together or any clue as to what that might look like for me. In many ways, it just didn’t seem possible, and I felt at a loss.
As the years passed and that certitude stayed in my heart, I gradually began to see a path forward—one that I had never even imagined. But that was only after years of frustration, disappointment, and struggling to strike a balance between pushing forward and patience. As the pieces began to come together and a picture started to form, I found myself growing in confidence and excitement because I had art and action to focus my energies on.
Things have certainly not taken shape in the way I imagined, though. For example, I had never really thought about writing before, and I still don’t consider myself a writer in the traditional sense. But I do feel called to write within this context of simply sharing authentically.
As time goes on, even though there are all sorts of snags and delays, I have been blessed to reach a point of trusting that things are happening in the time they’re supposed to happen. As long as I remain faithful to what is in my heart and open, God will continue to point the way.
Where I would say the road has been smooth is in the persistent knowing within that this is at least the beginning of that path I had been hoping for so long. That does not waver for me. The path might take a lot of twists and turns, but I’m walking it. Any struggles in the past and any struggles yet to come, I consider 100% worth it. They are all part of my story, and I have come to find so much joy in what I’m doing. I remain incredibly excited to see where the next step on the path takes me in this adventure.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
When it comes to the art I create, I really love working with a lot of different mediums, and I’m often switching between things. Sometimes I’ll go through a subtractive charcoal or pencil drawing phase. Then I’ll switch over to oils, maybe do a little watercolor, and then on to walnut ink, mixed media, or acrylic, and then cycle through all of it again.
For me, the consistent thread that runs through everything I create has more to do with the energy and inspiration behind it all. It’s about expressing the wonder and delight I experience through nature, and conveying, in one way or another, the spiritual element that is in all of it.
I hope the art I create is an invitation for people to pause, stay a little longer, and wonder, both about the art they’re looking at and about the everyday, commonplace nature we walk by every single day. It’s not just that tree we pass by every day, or whatever it might be. There’s something more, something deeper, something profoundly beautiful there for us to take in. And I hope they experience a bit of joy too!
I created The Joyful Bower as an extension of the reason behind my art. When I’m out in nature, not only am I inspired to create something beautiful artistically, but it’s also a place where I find a lot of clarity, peace, joy, and connection to God. The Joyful Bower is a place where I can share all of that more deeply through my reflections and photographs, and through practices that I have found nourishing to my soul! It’s a place, too, where soon I’ll be sharing more of my art for the same reason. I believe so strongly that beauty, art, and nature are for everyone, and I want to give people a place to encounter them all.
Right now, something I’m excited to be able to offer on The Joyful Bower website is what I call my Nature Gazing practice. It’s a very simple, easy guide to help anyone slow down, relax, be more present and open to the beauty in nature and to what God might be speaking through it. It never fails to make me feel better in one way or another. I really do believe that all of us have times when we can use a little encouragement and support when it comes to taking the time—and it doesn’t have to take more than a few minutes—to open ourselves to the rich beauty that surrounds us. Nature is not exclusive. It’s a gift to each and every one of us. It’s been a doorway to a deeper, richer, more authentic and beautiful life for me, and it can be for everyone else as well.
What I’m really hoping to do with The Joyful Bower is offer a space of friendship and encouragement. A place to enjoy and find a little peace. A place that feels a bit like a sigh and a smile.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The industry I see myself as really being part of is simply one of connection. I believe there is something in all of us that wants to authentically connect with who we are as individuals, with each other, and with God, and also to be a part of real relationships that bring us joy and meaning. I see nature and art as two pathways to the same end. With the rapid growth of technology and AI, I think our human hearts are going to be searching more and more to connect in human ways. In ways that are unique and genuine.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thejoyfulbower.com
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@TheJoyfulBower
- Other: https://the-joyful-bower.kit.com/profile
