In September, I filmed my daily journalling entries in my Spring 30 Day Journal Project. My creative progress had suffered under winter conditions and I wanted to immerse back into my journal. Visual journalling has been a powerful creative tool and way of understanding my inner world as not always needing to work in words means I can visually journal what I don’t yet know.
Since then, I have been journalling every day again, often multiple times a day and in between I am thinking about journalling! One of my teachers, Lisa Sonora taught me about asking myself potent questions. These are the questions that get to the very heart of myself. I am currently writing up the content for my first online journalling course, a dream I have had for many years, after I received so much joy, creative learning and connection in the online space. My journal is supporting me to ask the questions I most want answers to and holds a creative space to build a dream.
The journal spread above was a response to the question “Why do I visual journal”. I selected a range of materials from my supplies. I moved intuitively, picking items that my body said “yes!” to and then starting with some of the bigger background pieces and gluing them in. Both larger pieces were artworks harvested from magazines. The words also had came from magazines. When I get a collection of magazines, from the charity shops or as donations from others, I will go through them with my ruler, tearing out any pictures and words that catch my eye and store ready for a journalling session.
I LOVE alphabet stickers and stamps! I have used the stickers here for “creating my life!“. A little recycled cellophane bag from a 1000 Hearts purchase was stuck on the page and inside is a monotype printed paper with journalling on the blank side, then folded. A handmade Artist Trading Card saying “You are the miracle” hole-punched and ribbons tied on to embellish. I have used washi tape strips, added hand written words and finished the page with a date stamp. As Lisa has suggested, I mostly work on random pages in my book, moving away from the linear European left-to-right format so the date on my spreads means I can easily identify when I did things. Also…stamps are fun!
Writing up the course in my visual journal is the best way for me to create. Keeping the creative musings and collections in such a colourful and fun way means I can move out of my intellectual thinking space and into being which is where all creation really sits. I am currently reaching out to connect with some of the artists I shared Lisa’s Facilitator Training with in 2015. What a joy it is to have practicing artists in my life that live all around the world. I am so grateful for these connections. I am excited to bring this project to life, reach out if you would like to know more about visual journalling.
What do you want to create?
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