Art Journaling

Creative people exhibit a continuous discontent
with uniformity. (Glenn Van Ekeren)

No member of a crew is praised for the rugged
individualism of his rowing. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

Art journaling is probably only new to me. Basically, its an illustrated journal. Beyond that, the definition is open to individual interpretation. Some like a lot of text, some prefer to let the pictures do the talking. For some, the journal records dreams. For others, the journal gives inspiration or a record of events. For me, its probably going to be a little bit of all of that. Doesn't matter. However you envision your journal, the important point is that the art journal is a playground, a place to try out techniques and limber up your creative muscles.

Part of what I have internalized in my research on the "SENSOR", that part of me which seems to want to do anything and everything before art (suddenly, I have to do shopping or sweep the floor or ... well, you get the idea), is that I need a transition from the mundane, the every day part of my life, to the creative.

If you're as interested as I am, here are a couple of sites that provide a lot of information on art journalling basics:

• http://www.aisling.net/journaling/journalingarts.htm
• http://www.artistsjournals.com/instruction.htm

Now, the site I promised. Sarah Whitmere is a mixed media artist and instructor. On her site she provides a series of prompts which show you how to make pages for what she calls a soul journal - part journal, part mixed media and entirely fun. Here's how you get started:

• Sarah Whitmere's website
• Her soul journaling prompts starting at Day 1 with instructions

I'm just finishing up my first two pages, following her prompts, but from there, who knows? Because the more I do, the more possibilities open up for me. My creative spark, hidden behind a monumental barricade erected by my very own sensor, is finally breaking free. And ... its fun. Its not work, its actually fun.

Its not about the money

We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, 

so as to have the life that is waiting for us. 

The old skin has to be shed before the new one can come.

~~ Joseph Campbell

 I just finished reading "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield. Impressive book and not just because I sort of came to the same conclusions on my own. What he calls resistance, I have called my "Sensor." That part of me which is always ready to judge me, which always finds me wanting, which is endlessly inventive in its ways to sidetrack me and what I want to do. Mr. Pressfield does a great job of offering good advice on how to kickstart the creative process and I am grateful to him -- for his insights. I needed a kick in the pants.

Here's something for you to think about. Why is it that people evaluate anything they want to do in terms of how much money it will make. Or more importantly, if it will make a LOT of money. It isn't enough somehow that the thing you want to do will nourish your soul or make you happy. No. You have to make money, you have to make a lot of money so that you can reach the point where you never work again.

I'm abandoning that idea. Because for me, its more about constructing my life in a way that makes room for the things I want to do to be happy. Its not all about groceries and earning a living (though that's in there of course). Its not about zoning out in front of the TV at night and wondering where my life went. Or at least it shouldn't be.

One of the key insights in "The War of Art" is the idea that you should treat your art as your profession. Bring to your art the same degree of professionalism you bring to the job that pays for the rent and the groceries. Do it every day, whether you feel like it or not, make it part of your life. Go to your art the way you would to your job. 

So, my internal sensor may have won all of 2009 (and 'life' conspired a bit to help with that) but 2010 belongs to me. I have life goals written out. I have a plan for getting there. I have courses that I'm taking now in art. And new projects in the works. 

Tomorrow, I'll share one of them with you and direct you to an awesome website -- that's a lot of fun.