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4 Big Myths about Art Journaling

04/20/2021 / By / art, Art Journals, Creativity, inspiration

Art journaling sounds like a big fancy thing that only people ‘blessed with talent’ should take on. I can’t believe how many times I’ve heard that.

Don’t believe the hype!

I’m going to debunk that, and some other common art-based myths once and for all.

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Myth One: Not Everyone is Creative

I will fight this myth to my grave!

Everyone absolutely is creative–you’ve just either forgotten what it looks like, or you’ve suppressed it.

Don’t believe me?

This is how you can tell that you're creative:

  • When was the last time you had to come up with a way to make dinner with just four ingredients because you forgot to grocery shop?
  • Have you ever come up with a solution that made your baby or toddler stop crying? Or to get them to eat their vegetables? Or anything to get any kid to do something that they didn’t want to?
  • What about at work? Have you ever had to persuade a boss, but have them believe it was their idea?
  • Ever plan a fun event or a surprise for someone?
  • Have you ever negotiated, and felt like you came out on top?

I could go on, but you get the point.

All of those things require creativity. 

Making art is the same way. It’s really just making one decision after another. It’s problem solving, and solution finding, and as soon as you start to recognize that, the world looks a whole lot different. You start believing you can, rather than saying you can’t.

If you can relate to any of those things above, or similar instances, you can rest assured that you are creative.

Image of a jumble journal in progress
Start of a Jumble Journal

How to start rediscovering your creativity:

If you’re someone who has lost touch with your natural state of being creative, here are two things you can do to start to get it back:

1.  OBSERVE:
Pay more attention to what you see in your everyday life. Be deliberate and use all five of your senses.

Have you ever wondered how painters make such inspiring works, or how photographers capture such great images? Their eyes are trained to see the world differently, and that is what you need to do.

You can do this exercise anywhere, anytime. Do it as often as you can remember.

  • When you look at something notice the color. Go even deeper to see if you can see more than one color. Is it more blue-purple, red-purple?
  • When you hear something take a moment to really hear it. Is it high pitched and shrill, or deep and booming. Is it pulsating, or smooth?
  • When you feel something, what are you really feeling? Is the soap just slippery, or is it creamy? Astringent? Does it feel soothing?
  • When eating, try to distinguish individual spices (beyond salty, sweet, etc.)
  • And smelling…notice smells around you on a different level. If it’s a bad smell, is it sour? Weirdly sweet? Pungent?

We use all five senses every day, but rarely do we really examine them. The more in touch with this type of perception you are, the more in touch with your creativity you will become.

2.  NOTE:

Take some time to write (maybe even in an art journal) about what that experience is like for you. Take notice of how you feel, and any awarenesses that arise because of it.

  • Does it make you feel anxious, or calm?
  • Is it hard? Does it get easier? Does it come to you naturally?
  • How distracted do you get? Can you come back to it?
  • Did you notice any changes in your thoughts or actions?
  • Note anything else.
  • Do mindful exercises like noticing how your bare feet feel as you walk, or how the pen feels as it drags across the paper.

Do this for at least a week. Longer is better, until you start noticing yourself doing it without having to think about it. Ideally, you will start to see the world this way all the time, effortlessly.

Grab my FREE Art Journal Roadmap Here >>
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Myth Two: You Need Expensive Supplies

Nope. Totally a myth.

Have you ever heard of junk journaling? It’s where you take all kinds of stuff that would normally end up in the landfill and turn it into a cool book that you can either use for a daily journal, or just as an art piece to work on.

When my great-aunt died we found stacks of old wallpaper sample books stacked in her farmhouse attic. She had used them to collage in newspaper clippings, photos, and foldouts of detailed family trees that she’d maintained, that dated back to the 1800s. Even though that was all she had to work with, ohmygosh, they were amazing! Art journaling can be done the same way.

Here are examples of free materials and supplies you can use:
  • Old books, as with the wallpaper sample books, can be used as art journals. Just work on top of the pages.
  • Discarded paper grocery bags or paper shopping bags can be used for inner pages.
  • Coffee, tea, dirt, or any other colored liquid can be used as a stain for aging, weathering, and colorizing pages or portions of pages.
  • Discarded food boxes, like cereal boxes can be used as the base for covers.
  • Any tape or glue you already have on hand can work for attaching collage.
  • Old magazines, catalogs, greeting cards, business cards, postcards, junk mail, etc, can be used in various ways for collage or other elements.
  • Any supplies you already have on hand from previous projects, including school and office supplies. You’d be amazed at what you can do with pencils, pens, and markers that you have lying around.

When I use my Jumble Journal Method I regularly turn to these free materials. I feel satisfaction that I’m saving a little bit from the landfill, and saving money that I can use on other things that can’t be found free.

If you start looking at things around you differently (as suggested in myth number one) you’ll see all kinds of  things around you that can be incorporated into your journaling.

photo of different recycled materials for art journaling
Myth Three: It Has to Be Perfect

Now, you know where I’m going to go with this myth, right? 

There is no such thing as perfect when it comes to journaling, or art. Or anything, for that matter.

Think about it: Art JOURNALING.

Journaling is meant to be a personal process to write out your thoughts–a diary. I don’t know many people that would say that a diary needs to be perfect. WE are not perfect, so the expression of ourselves therefore, should not be perfect.

The problem comes in when we add that dirty little word, “art” to the journaling process. Those three letters throw us right back to Myth Number One, where we start judging our product, and ourselves, and our abilities.

Remember: art journaling is a place to explore and experiment.

To try new things, and to express yourself. No one needs to see it. Heck, you don’t ever have to go back and look if you don’t want to.

What to do if you find yourself overwhelmed by perfectionism:

  • Just say no.
    Seriously. Have a literal conversation with your inner critic and tell it to hit the road. Maybe even write it out in your journal. I totally do that in my warm-up journal.  You can let it come back later, but there is no room for it while you’re in your journal.
  • Just do it.
    Remind yourself that you have every other minute of the day to be perfect. Dip your toe into the pool of uncertainty and push yourself to break through the desire, even just a little bit, in this moment, right now.
  • Think different. 
    Do the opposite of what you’re feeling compelled to do. You may not like the outcome at first, but the more you practice stepping outside of your box, the sooner you will start to feel more free Once you get comfortable with that, precision will be a choice, and not as much of a compulsion.
  •  So easy a caveman can do it.
    Simplify. Stop trying to be so fancy and comphrehensive, having to know and do all the things. Go back to basics. Sometimes we make things more complicated that they need to be. Rather than looking too far ahead at what you want it to be, take a step back and focus on what is in front of you…the next line or small section. 
Grab my FREE Art Journal Roadmap Here >>
photo of colorful art journal
Warm up journal. I work on small sections over many months.

Myth Four: You Must Finish Before Starting a New One

Do you fret that you have so many projects going but never seem to finish any?

Not finishing is totally OK when it comes to art journaling. In fact, it’s encouraged.

If you feel like you have to finish one journal before starting a new one you will inevitably come up against a wall where you feel like you’re forcing yourself to do something that you don’t want to.

Ask yourself why something unfinished is so uncomfortable for you. Then take some time to drill deeper into that belief. 

  • Was it a family value you learned?
  • Do you feel inadequate in some way if you leave something open-ended?
  • Does this belief help to serve or hinder you, or both?
  • What would your life look like if you could leave an art project on-going and unfinished indefinitely?

As my fourth grader teacher used to say, “P-shaw!”

Life’s too short to keep yourself in limiting boxes! Jump around and have all the journals you want going at the same time. They look pretty cool when they’re all stacked up, and fun to flip through while you decide which one to work in next.

Benefits of multiple ongoing, unfinished journals:

  • You always have something ready to work on.
  • You don’t have to plan and start a new project.
  • You can work for a small amount of time and not feel like you have to finish an entire project.
  • Pressure to get to a certain state of doneness is removed because you know you can come back to it at any time.
  • You can move from journal to journal depending on your mood.
  • You can have different journals for different reasons, such as:
    • Warm-up journal, where it’s just jotting small things or trying out things that you might not want in your “good” journal.
    • Travel-based journal.
    • Pet themed journal.
    • Inspiration and affirmation journal, etc.
  • By keeping open ended journals you continually go back and flip through the work you’ve done previously. Looking at art makes you happy, especially when it’s yours.

I could so go on with reasons why not finishing while art journaling holds benefit.

illustration of journaling supplies
So, there you go...

Everyone is creative, you don’t need a lot of expensive, fancy, tools or supplies, you absolutely do NOT need to be even close to perfect and, you do not have to complete what you start.

What’s stopping you from giving it a try?

I’d love you show you how, and you can get my FREE Jumble Journal Roadmap that shows you my favorite way of art journaling. I have about six of them going right now, and I could probably do with a few more.

Wanna try?

image of art journaling roadmap
Need Help Getting Started?

The FREE
Jumble Journal Roadmap
will show you how!

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The Ultimate Guide To Getting Started with Art Journal Collage

04/19/2021 / By / art, Art Journals, Creativity

What is collage?

Collage is an art form that involves gluing various pieces together into a whole piece. One of the earliest collage artists, maybe the first, was Pablo Picasso in 1910.

Any items can be used in collage but the most common are of pieces of paper or fabric glued to a surface.

If you are like me, and challenged in the drawing department, collage provides the ability to bring realism into your works–and a lot of surrealism, too.

Collage is one of the techniques I use while art journaling and it’s really helped me to get outside of my creative box.

While collage seems like merely cutting out photos and gluing them somewhere else, there are a lot of nuances to the process that you might not realize, and I’m here to fill in some of those blanks and equip you with what you need to know to get started yourself.

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FREE Art Journaling Guide >>
Best materials to use in collage:

As you start to collage you will find what you like to work with best, and which adhesives and cutting techniques work best with different weights of papers and fabrics.

You can use anything from tracing paper and tissue paper to card stock, cardboard, plastic, fabric and even 3D objects like keys, pieces of wood, etc.

When you are gathering materials to be used in collage I like to suggest using the criteria: “Can this be glued down (or stuck to a surface)?” If the answer is, “Yes,” and you like the item, then for sure add it to your collection!

Where to find elements for collage:

The easy answer is: Everywhere!

Library Sales

My favorite place to find good collage materials is my local library sale.

Twice a year the Phoenix Public Library has a sale where they raise money by selling extra books that have been donated, but aren’t needed. They often have great coffee table books with color photos, and children’s books that have fun illustrations and popups that can be disassembled.

Libraries are often recipients of donated  school textbooks, atlases, and anything else printed on paper that aren’t put into their lending rotation.

Library sales are a great way to find inexpensive materials. Some libraries have additional discounts for “friends of the library” donors. It’s worth checking out your local library.

image of table full of used books for sale

Garage, Estate, and Yard Sales, Flea Markets, and Swap Meets

Another great place to find inexpensive materials are garage, estate, and yard sales. Sometimes you can even find stacks of magazines that are free for the taking.

Don’t rule out photo albums or discarded scrapbooks, either. You can find some interesting pictures and ephemera that may have been let go.

Packaging

A big way that companies compete for customers these days is with their packaging. Marketing materials have great lettering and graphics, and some even use really good, sturdy papers.

Some of my favorite collage papers were once branded paper bags or papers that were used to wrap an item.

images of tissue paper and shopping bags

Craig's List, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay...

Facebook Marketplace and Ebay are great places to find vintage magazines. If you have a theme you like to work with like music, people and faces, houses, flowers, a certain era, etc., it’s easy to find larger lots of similarly bundled magazines. Even better if you can find the lots offering local pickup, and save on shipping!

Likewise, Craig’s List is a good place to find things for free that people just want picked up and out of their house or garage.

Etsy and Other Artists

If you don’t feel like searching through books and magazines there are plenty of artists who make and sell pre-made collage pages from images they have either created, or stock photos that they have compiled into sheets.

You can shop and find almost any theme you want through Etsy sellers, or direct from artist web sites.

NOTE: it is not OK to print artists works and use them for your own without purchasing, unless otherwise stated by the artist.

Your own Trash

I know. That sounds gross. But hear me out…

Some food boxes (like cereals and crackers) are a nice heavy weight option to either collage on, or to become parts of pages onto which you glue collage.

If you progress from collaging alone, to building your own junk journals (like I teach) you will be glad you collected some of these heavier pieces.

Make Your Own

Obvious, right? But I’m not talking about just taking or drawing your own pictures and cutting them out to glue somewhere else, but that is totally a source of collage!

Once you get some collage done scan it into your computer and cut out and reassemble portions for a new look. You may also want to scan other things you’ve made like paintings, sewn pieces, photo albums. 

Start looking at things around you differently. Anything can be photographed and used for collage.

image of collage elements sheet
Example of collage sheet made from previous art journal pages.

Craft Stores

Craft stores also have decorative papers and various scrapbooking materials for purchase.

FREE Art Journaling Guide >>
Best Colors to Use in Collage:

The most obvious choice is to start out a collage piece with very colorful pieces of paper or fabric. After all, we see our world in color.

But, think differently, too! I’ve seen some really amazing pieces made of black, white, and gray, or other monochromatic color schemes.

Of course there is no right or wrong choice. I encourage you to collect a variety of images, and lettering/words, that you like.

Also, you don’t have to only work with images or decorative lettering…you can also get a lot of use out of typewritten pages and even sheet music.

Background and texture:

Another way to look at potential collage material is by texture and color. For example, you come upon a magazine ad that has a house with a yard and you LOVE the vibrant green of the grass. While you might not have an idea of how to use a photo of grass, keep the page anyway because that swatch of green grass can be used abstractly in a place where you want green (like a border, or shape, yet it has nothing to do with actual grass.

Maybe you want to make a character and you want it to have green legs. Oh, how much more interesting legs of green grass would  be, yes?

So, chances are, if you like the color of the grass itself, you will be glad you saved it when you need it.

image of crazy angel collage
Example of textured collage portions used to build character's body.
Cutting Tips:

I had a great art teacher in elementary school. So great that I remember her teaching me how to cut paper!

If you didn’t get this lesson at some point in your life, here is a tip: for precision cutting, move the paper, not the scissors. You will be amazed at how much easier your detailed cutting will be. And start deep into the blades, not at the tips.

There are some fun decorative edge craft scissors available, too. From zig zags to scalloped edges and all kinds of shapes in between.

These aren’t necessary, by any means, but they can be kind of fun.

Another option is to use an Exacto knife for those little places in which you need to get a tight cut.

And, if you want a more organic look? Tear it up! That’s right…no rules when it comes to collage art. The deckled edge that tearing leaves behind can be fun.

TIP: If you tear towards yourself you will leave a raw piece of paper border around the edge. If you tear away from yourself your image will go to the edge  of your tear.

Glues and Wet Adhesives:

I could write a book on tapes and glues. In fact, I bet there is already a book out there somewhere. So, how does one decide?

If you’re new to collage I’d say just work with what you have. White school glue, glue sticks, paste, rubber cement, gel medium, tape or adhesive dot rollers, etc. You will see what you like to work with most as you go along.

Here is a recap of some of the adhesives I’ve tried:

White or Gel School Glue

Also known as Polyvinyl Acetate (PVA) glue, this one is easy because almost all of us have it on hand. Examples of this are Elemer’s Glue, carpenter’s glue (the yellow version), school glue, and book binder’s glue. There are many brands of PVA glue available at craft stores and online.

It’s flexible, strong, and usually non-acidic, if archival quality pieces are important to you. Smaller bottles have a dispenser top, but it can also be applied with a paintbrush for a more even application.

PVA glue can make thin papers buckle and bubble.

Yes! Paste

This is my current favorite. My local craft store carries it. Despite the name “paste” it is not like the old school paste you used in third grade. It’s thick yet smooth and creamy and goes on well with a brush. It has a lower moisture content than PVA glue and therefore does not buckle most papers.

Yes! Paste is acid-free and archival quality.

Glue Sticks

I like the Uhu and Avery brands, and the blue and purple colored ones the most because you can easily see where glue has been applied. They dry clear and both are acid-free.

Glue sticks also have a low amount of moisture and therefore don’t wrinkle average papers.

Mod Podge and Gel Medium

Mod Podge and acrylic gel mediums can be used as an adhesive under papers, and also over the top as a sealer. They are acid-free and dry clear. You can find them in different finishes such as matte, satin, glossy, and more, depending on your desire.

As sealers over the top of collage pieces it can form a barrier between your paper products and applications of paints and other media and can receive layers of acrylic paint as well.

Matte gel medium is one of my favorite adhesives. Make sure you let Mod Podge and gel medium pieces have a good dry time so the pages don’t stick together. You can gently use a hair dryer or heat gun to speed the process and also put waxed paper between the pages once they are mostly dry, but not fully there.

Spray Adhesives

I don’t use spray adhesives because of the fumes, and I think it’s messy, but if this is something you are comfortable with, it’s an option to consider.

Rubber Cement

I haven’t worked with rubber cement for a long long time, but again, it’s another option if you don’t mind the smell.

FREE Art Journaling Guide >>
Dry Connections:

Tape Applicators and Dot Rollers

Tombow double-sided tape applicators are fast and easy to use, and less messy than wet adhesives. They’re still really sticky and if you’re trying to work them right up to the edge of your paper they can still be a little messy.

They’re a fun alternative, and you can purchase refills in bulk.

These pre-loaded Tombow adhesive dot applicators are also a strong adhesive option that applies a double sided dots. They also take refill cartridges. 

There are other brands of applicators that also work well.

Tapes

Tapes, tapes, tapes! So many to choose from.

Washi tape is a favorite for it’s bright colors and patterns and the fact that it can be lifted and repositioned without damage to the paper below. It’s also strong and somewhat flexible.

I also like using colorful masking tape and painters tape, which comes in multiple colors now. Masking tape is paper based so most times it will take media like pens and paints well without beading up. It’s fast and easy and is a great reinforcing border around the edge of pages if that’s your thing, like me.

Scotch brand tape, either the matte version or shiny version. The shiny doesn’t take media like paints or pens well but you may find that you want to use it somewhere where that isn’t a consideration. I sometimes use clear packing tape as a mock lamination for covers of my journals, or portions of pages. It can also be used as a resist for painting techniques outside of your collage work.

Duct tape is a fun addition and comes in decorative patterns and colors nowadays. There is a wide variety available in craft stores. It can be used to reinforce spines of journals, covers, or pockets, or to make hinges between pages to create fold out panels of your heavier collage pieces.

Sewing and Stitching

I’ve only used sewing or stitching in my journals a little bit but I love the look. You can adhere collage pieces to pages with hand-stitching or even with your sewing machine.

Rivets

Craft stores sell decorative rivets that can be used on paper products. It’s kind of a fun touch to secure photos, or thicker pieces of material.

Surfaces and Substrates:

You can collage on anything. I just saw an example of someone collaging onto a Pringles can. I’ve seen chairs covered in collage and tables at restaurants that were collaged and then sealed with polyurethane.

You can use pre-made art boards for a surface, paper journals that you create, or repurpose old books and glue right to the pages.

If it can hold an adhesive, it can be collaged. Of course, collaging something that will be out in the elements won’t withstand weather well so, don’t expect that to last long unless you apply some type of weather-proofed sealer.

Oh No, I Made a Mistake!

Hahahaha. I’m so funny, aren’t I?

There are no mistakes, only extra under layers that give your work more depth and texture. If you don’t like something? Put something else on top of it, or paint over it and start over. 

Some of my favorite journal covers have had multiple layers of collage and paint applied until I got a design I liked. I use gel medium on a lot of my covers and I love how multiple layers of collage applied in that way start to make it feel like a leather-bound volume.

image of art journaling roadmap
FREE Art Journaling Guide >>

Bonus Collage Help:

Make Your Collage Pieces Stand Out

Now that you’re a pro at getting all that great collage down, are you ready to make it pop?

One of the things I love about collage are the edges of pieces. It’s the perfect place to add depth and definition. You will find that different papers take different media, and some don’t take it at all, like some glossy papers.

There are so many ways to make your collaged pieces stand out, but here are a few:

Shading

Plain graphite pencil, or colored pencils are a great way to add shadowing around your collage pieces. Use the crisp edge to really get the pencil color down in there.

If pencils won’t stick to your shinier pieces of collage, fine permanent markers can also be used to crosshatch or even use different densities of tiny stapled dots to give the illusion of a shadow.

Really though, any media can be used for shading, such as acrylic paints, or even staining with coffee or tea.

The idea is to just make a faint border around the edges to draw the eye in.

Outlining

I. Love. Outlining.

It’s hard for me to not outline collage pieces in some way. Whether it’s just a black or white paint pen or marker, or making some type of other border around my collage pieces…I just can’t stop.

But outlining, either up close to the edge of your collage pieces, or a little further out with multiple outlines or border elements, serves to highlight your images and say, “Look here! This is important!”

I’ve had a love affair with fine tip Micron pens for quite a while. Their delicate felt tips make the most delicious dark black, permanent lines.

Try an assortment and see which tip size you like the best. There is also a real nice brush style tip.

If you prefer colors other than black, acrylic paint markers are great, too. There are so many options in paint pens but I prefer the acrylics because once they dry they won’t smear if they come into contact with other wet media like paints or glues.

They go over most media too, including some of the shinier papers found in magazines.

Depth and Texture

Other ways of highlighting different parts of your collage is by getting a little more 3D. Cut out borders from your thicker collage materials and glue them down and embellish, like frames. 

Glue down strings or fibers to create frames. I’ve even used beads of hot glue and carved it around favorites parts of my collage. Heck, you can glue down split peas and paint them.

Try everything! What’s the worst that could happen?

Storage and Organization

You will find as many ideas for storing your collage as there are people out there doing collage! Here are a few ideas:

File Folders

Regular old manilla file folders are easy to use, and label. For collections of smaller pieces I like to tape up the sides so the bitty parts don’t slip out. Just be sure that none of the adhesive part of the tape is exposed inside your folder or your collage will stick to it, and no one wants that!

Ziploc Baggies

Baggies are a great way to store smaller pieces too, and you can see the basic contents at a glance. I’m a little in love with binder clips and keep collections of baggies together and hang them on a peg board.

Craft Storage Drawers

This is another thing I could go a little crazy with. I have stackable plastic drawer units that I got from Walmart. I keep my larger pieces in these drawers.

Sort by Theme, Color, Weight of Material

I like to sort my collage by elements that I work with a lot. I have folders for face parts, body parts, flowers, lettering, etc.

I have folders and baggies with areas of color cut out (like my green grass example above) and I have folders for images of just windows, doors, and buildings.

You will find what your recurring themes are and you’ll find what organization works best for you. And…once you get that, you may even decide to try it a different way. Or, you’ll just throw it all into a bin and dig around in it every time you sit down to work.

I have plenty of bins with magazines, and shelves with picture books. I have a box with old decorative shopping bags and discarded wrapping papers and greeting cards.

Organizing is a really personal process so everyone will do this part differently, for sure. I’d love to see what you come up with.

From materials to adhesives to techniques and storage, there is so much to the world of collaging. The resources I’ve shared are still just the start of a collaging journey, and I still learn new things every day.

If you’d like more information or help about how I use collage in my art journaling, be sure to grab my Free Jumble Journal Roadmap. 

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Need Help Getting Started?

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5 Reasons Why You Need to Art Journal Now

04/24/2021 / By / art, art journal, Art Journals, Creativity

We all know what a journal is. It’s where you express your thoughts and desires, document your days and adventures, and pour out whatever else is on your mind. But, have you heard of art journaling?

It’s more than just the doodles in the margins of your diary, or the little hearts and smiley face exclamation points you use for emphasis when writing about a red-letter day.

Art journaling is done with art and craft materials like paints, pencils, pens, and pastels, but can also incorporate found objects, left over paper products, fabric swatches, or anything else you want to preserve and highlight. 

Art journaling is also used as a spiced up sketchbook with the extra seasoning coming from the added elements of color, texture, layers, photos, mementos, etc., to help you express yourself, try out new mediums and designs, and whatever else you usually do in a sketchbook.

Think of art journaling as a diary/sketchbook leveled up, times 100.

So, why should you be art journaling? I’m glad you asked…

1. The Creative Process Clears Your Mind

Ever hear of athletes getting into the zone? That’s the same thing you experience when you spend time creating…you’re transported to a different state of mind and detached from the immediate worries of the day.

Sometimes the hardest part of creating is getting yourself started. But, once you get into it, it’s like a meditation where the activity of your hands distracts your brain from its usual thinking processes. This in turn reduces stress, which is now proven to be good for your physical health, too.

If you’ve ever wanted to meditate but found that it’s not as easy as it seems to just sit still and breathe, art journaling is a fantastic alternative to achieve a calm mind.

The lingering effects of clearing your mind through art journaling allows you to get off that hamster wheel and enjoy life more. 

image of art journaling roadmap
FREE Art Journaling Guide >>

2. Making Art Keeps Your Brain Healthy

The connection between your eyes, hands, and brain is well documented as helping your brain to maintain its youthful elasticity that can fade with age and inactivity. Did you know that creating art actually rewires your brain?

Many people don’t realize that making art is a natural problem-solving exercise. As you work on a piece you are constantly making decisions about what to do next, especially in art journaling.

What materials am I going to use, what colors, what media, where am I going to put the next line, or piece of collage?

As small as it may seem, continuing to engage your mind with thinking tasks like this keeps it working well. This is why they recommend puzzles, games, and other creative activities, as we get older.

“Neurological research shows that making art can improve cognitive functions by producing both new neural pathways and thicker, stronger dendrites. Thus, art enhances cognitive reserve, helping the brain actively compensate for pathology by using more efficient brain networks or alternative brain strategies. Making art or even viewing art causes the brain to continue to reshape, adapt, and restructure, thus expanding the potential to increase brain reserve capacity.”

www.todaysgeriatricmedicine.com

You know what they say: use it or lose it.

3. It's a Safe Place for Self-Expression

Especially these days, you should totally be art journaling to express yourself. Use your journal for all those things that you don’t want to say out loud but you know…you want to say out loud!

No one ever has to see it. 

image of art journal with multiple sections of writing
One of my "hard-to-read" self-expression Jumble Journal Spreads

And if that still makes you feel uncomfortable? Write the nasties, the uglies, and the unmentionables, and transform them by collaging over the words, or paint over them and put something more pleasing.

Either way, you’re still expressing yourself and when you do that you get it out of you head and free up space.

I promise you…the process of self expression works wonders, even if you never see the words or images again. Think of it as cheap therapy.

One way I do this is by writing really small, fast, and sloppily. That way, it’s hard to read for any outsider, and even myself. So, even though it’s not really readable, it looks pretty cool to see so many little words that I know had a cathartic effect on me at the time of writing them.

See My Art Journal Method Here >>

4. Source of New Ideas and Inspiration

For all my art and craft making friends out there… Do you ever experience creative block?

Whether you’re a visual artist, musician, writer, or other creative, an art journaling practice will make that a thing of the past.

Chances are, when you feel stuck or don’t know what to create next you turn to looking at other artists work. It might be through Pinterest, museum sites, blogs, Instagram, etc.  I love going to art shows and seeing what other artists are making. I always come home inspired. 

While that is great, there is a huge drawback: You need to be careful that you don’t, copy others’ work. It takes almost as much brain power to try to be different than what you saw as it does to come up with a totally new idea on your own. 

Enter the art journal…

When you’re in the creative flow working in your art journal in the way that I teach in my Jumble Journal Method, your own new, unique, ideas open up as you work.  After you’ve been doing it for a while you build up your own library of personal inspiration that you can come back to.

This is the method I use to come up with all of my unique jewelry collection designs and I love the benefits of designing this way:

  • First, when you’re working in a Jumble Journal like I teach, you don’t waste materials. You can work with almost all recycled and reclaimed materials. For me, that is huge because I work with silver and gemstones. I can’t just sit down and play with those materials and wait for ideas to hit.
  • Desiging this way is far more enjoyable than toiling and trying to THINK a design into reality!
  • It keeps your brain in a creative state that overflows into other areas of your life.
  • I feel productive, even when it just seems like random play, because I know that I’m adding to my inspiration archive that I will use later.

I think the most important thing about designing via art journaling is that I don’t look to other artists for inspiration anymore. I just flip through the pages of my earlier work, and marvel at what I’ve created.

5. It's Helps Build Your Intuition

Ready to get woo-woo with me? Art journaling helps you not only to start to feel more confident in your art-making, but also to trust your own inner guidance,  instincts, and intuitiveness.

When you take time to detached from your thinking brain and your mind has calmed, you are open to receiving messages and inspiration. The more you do it, the more you start experience it outside of your art-making sessions, too.

Regardless whether you feel it’s from your higher power, your higher self, or just from the consciousness of your own brain, it’s there, and it’s a pretty cool experience.

Sounds crazy, right? It’s not.

It’s probably my favorite benefit of being in that creative art journal headspace.

Set an intention at the start of your practice, and see what happens and what appears on your page, and in your life.

illustration of journaling supplies

I honestly could write an entire book about everything art journaling.

I just can’t shout from the rooftops enough about the benefits of art journaling and why you should be doing it. The 5 reasons listed above are pretty compelling, don’t you think? I’ve experienced all of them, and more, and it’s changed my life.

I would love to show you how it can do the same for you, and you can check it out with my free roadmap to the method I’ve developed, called Jumble Journaling.

image of art journaling roadmap
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