How can I art journal every day or even every week?And I agree, there are many challenges in daily life that make it hard to enjoy some journaling time. Challenges such as,
- space
- time
- resources
- inspiration
- company
So I thought I would write a post with some ideas to combat those challenges.
Challenges of Daily Art Journaling: Space
Space is always a major problem. Ideally we would have a studio, at home or away, where we kept all our art supplies with several tables for working on different things. But in reality we often just have a corner or a kitchen table that is time limited. If you have a time limited space (I used to work on the lounge floor) then the best way I found to get a page done was to plan the different stages I could complete before tidying up. So maybe a background first then tidy up and stencilling or stamping the next time etc. It does work but I found I would rather leave things out so that I could save on the tidying up time. So I made a table that would fold up against the wall when not in use. It is fixed to the wall above a side cabinet so in effect I am using the space twice … nifty!You might also consider digital art journaling. With an ipad pro, internet and printer the world’s your oyster as far as being creative is concerned.
Challenges of Daily Art Journaling: Time
Time is a tricky one because once it is lost that’s it. But you can make the most of it by doubling up on jobs. I used to try to finish a page in one go but I found that waiting for things to dry was wasted time and then thinking of what to do next sometimes took ages. So instead of sitting and staring at the page I would do other jobs in the meantime. I might upload videos to my pc from the video camera while waiting for a background to dry. Then while the videos are uploading, put the laundry away. This is possible if you are at home during the day – maybe a weekend is a good time to combine tasks if you’re not at home during the week? I find this technique works best with a bit of planning the day before. So I might decide what stages my page will need then work out which jobs I can do in between and put it all on my todo list.If you’ve cracked the space challenge then consider doing one page over a few days so when you get 5 minutes you can add a layer or make a focal image embellishment.
Challenges of Daily Art Journaling: Resources
When you start art journaling the array of supplies you can get is mind blowing and the temptation is to get them all so that you can try all the techniques. But money is often an obstacle. My best solution to this is to get creative … make your own stamps and stencils with household objects (carved potatoes, nuts and bolts, screwdrivers ), waste (bubble wrap, sequin waste)and natural items (leaves, stones, …). Reuse paper especially wrapping paper, packing tissue, other packaging. Then add supplies slowly over time, experimenting with each one as much as possible before buying the next. Combine natural colourants like tea and coffee with bleach to create patterned backgrounds and use children’s art supplies to add details. Let me know in the comments if you would like more ideas on budget art journaling.Challenges of Daily Art Journaling: Inspiration and Company
Even when you’ve sorted out space and time, inspiration can fail. Happily this is the easiest to resolve. I wrote a blog post about prompts to reuse a little while ago and that is a good starting place. You could also join in an online ‘challenge’ group. These groups provide daily art journaling challenges to help get you fired up. Here’s a few:- Kickinthecreatives FB group
- Art Journaling for Mental Health FB group
- Tag it Tuesday FB group
- Creative challenges
- The Ultimate Guide for Learning to Art Journal
The nice thing about joining a facebook group is that you get inspiration and social support in one. Whichever prompt you choose to work on ask yourself how it is relevant to you – so what can you bring to it from your own personal life. Then the page you make will mean something to you forever.
Love and hugs, Ceri xx
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