An art journal, as the name suggests, is a journal for creating visual worlds alongside or instead of text. The main focus is on a diary-like quality, the therapeutic nature of the method and unlocking your creativity.
I believe that anyone can keep an art journal, whatever the artistic background or skills.
How do you feel about keeping a diary? Or do you use another method to organise your thoughts or document your life?
My story with traditional diaries is rather typical: over the years, I’ve started dozens of journals, writing a few pages only to forget about them in the back of a cupboard. Coming across them sometime later was always as embarrassing, and I’d tear out those few pages and give a fresh start to the empty notebook.
As an adult, I became intrigued by the concept of morning pages coined by the creative writer Julia Cameron – the idea of jotting down three pages of unfiltered stream of consciousness right after waking up, with no intention of revisiting them later on. My morning pages often turned into evening pages and were quite sporadic, but somehow, the method still worked for me.
Art journaling is a magical blend of creativity, self-expression, and personal growth that can truly transform your life. It’s a practice that combines art and writing in a way that’s uniquely yours, allowing you to explore your inner world and capture the beauty of everyday life.
As an artist, mother, and spouse, I’ve found art journaling to be a constant companion through life’s ups and downs. It’s become my way of finding beauty in everything around me, from my wildest dreams to the simple pleasure of a delicious cup of coffee.
But what exactly is art journaling?
Picture this: you have a blank book that you can fill with whatever your heart desires. Doodles, paintings, words, photos, ticket stubs – anything goes! It’s your personal playground for creativity, a safe space where you can be completely yourself.
The benefits of art journaling are numerous and profound. First and foremost, it offers emotional release. It’s a fantastic way to express feelings and thoughts that might be difficult to articulate otherwise. Having a rough day? Splash some paint on a page! Feeling on top of the world? Create a colourful collage!
Art journaling also provides incredible stress relief. When you’re focused on creating, the day-to-day stresses seem to melt away. It’s an almost magical form of relaxation that allows you to escape into your own world of creativity.
It’s a powerful tool for self-discovery. It can help you uncover aspects of yourself you never knew existed. It’s like being your own therapist, but way more fun and colourful. As you express yourself on the pages, you might be surprised by the insights you gain about your own thoughts, feelings, and desires.
Engaging in art journaling regularly provides a significant creativity boost. The more you practice, the more your creative ideas will start to flow. You’ll find yourself coming up with new techniques, colour combinations, and ways to express yourself that you never imagined before.
Unlike traditional journaling, art journaling excels at memory keeping. Forget boring old diary entries – art journaling creates a vibrant, visual scrapbook of your life that you’ll love revisiting. Each page becomes a time capsule of your experiences, emotions, and growth.
Through consistent art journaling, many people, including myself, have found a way to break free from limiting beliefs. I’ve learned to trust myself and my dreams that once felt impossible to reach. The act of creating without judgment can be incredibly empowering and confidence-building.
Art journaling teaches us to embrace imperfection. Regular practice has brought self-acceptance and kindness into my creative journey. Now, I don’t fear mistakes as much and I dare to experiment more. This mindset often extends beyond the journal pages and into other aspects of life, fostering a more accepting and adventurous approach to challenges and opportunities.
The beauty of art journaling lies in its accessibility. You don’t need to be a “real artist” to start.
It’s all about the process, not the end result. It’s about having fun and expressing yourself, not creating a masterpiece for a museum.
Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to art journal. It’s all about letting your creativity run wild and trusting your intuition. Approach it with curiosity and choose techniques that resonate with you.
Whether you’re just starting your creative journey or you’ve been immersed in artistic practices for a while, art journaling can help you infuse more creativity into your daily life. It’s not about attending a must-do art class or reaching a certain standard of “art.” It’s about creating simply because it feels good and meaningful.
So, are you ready to dip your fingers in some paint and embark on this transformative journey? Give art journaling a try – I bet you’ll surprise yourself with how awesome your art journal becomes and how it can positively impact your life.
Here’s a simple list to get you started with art journaling:
- Grab a journal or sketchbook
- Collect pens, pencils, and markers
- Find a glue stick and scissors
- Gather old magazines, newspapers, pieces of coloured paper or fabric and anything you feel like adding
- If you’re feeling adventurous, add some watercolours or acrylics
- Just start painting, drawing and glueing in your journal, see what happens, what comes forth! (If you don’t like it, you can always draw, paint or glue over it with something else – but focus on the process, not the outcome!)
