Why do I keep an art journal?

Have you ever wondered why it is important to keep an art journal and what you get out of it?  Maybe you are new to art journaling or never tried it or maybe you have been keeping an art journal for some time now. I think we all have different reasons and we use our art journals in different ways too.

  

 The wonderful thing is that our journals are an extension of our true self. It is like a blueprint of our creative journey and reflect a part of our daily life. I have been going through my previous art journals and it is a true reflection of how I went through different stages through the years. When I first started my pages were unsure and child like, the drawings were very simple with only a few words written on them. As I progressed and experimented through applying different techniques my style changed a few times. 

It is necessary to try all the techniques and styles. It is the only way you will eventually come to a place where you feel comfortable with your style. Try different art mediums and test different styles. Experiment and you will find your own voice coming through. 

I made messy pages, neat pages and tried so many art mediums to find out what I like and don't like. I also asked myself the question. If someone would pick up my art journals and page through them what would they tell about me. 

To find the answer to this question I took my old art journals and started to go through them. It was surprising to me to see that the pages where I have written about things that happened that day were the pages I found most interesting. 

Those were the pages where it almost felt like I was paging through a magazine with all the interesting bits of my day, lists and happenings with illustrations or pictures that I added. The pages with only 'art' work were the pages I paged through quickly. Yes, some of the drawings and painting are nice but it didn't capture my attention. What captured me and made me stop to really explore the page and remember, were the pages where I wrote things that had meaning about what I did, or went through on that specific day or week. 

The conclusion.... I want my art journals to reflect my entire life. I want them to tell the story of my life with all it's ups and downs, all the days that are meaningful, sad, good and bad. I want them to reflect all of me. 

  I also found that I love pen, ink, watercolors. I love to draw and color. I love to illustrate and this is the way I feel most comfortable when I play in my art journal. I love to draw faces. I love to draw every day happenings and the things I see around me. I love doodling, stamps and stencils. I don't need a lot of materials to keep me happy. 

I have been keeping separate art journals. There are art journals dedicated to watercolors, to drawing, mixed media with lots of paints and layers and many more but I have been thinking of incorporating all of the ones I love to do into one journal from next year. I will keep you posted. 

One thing is for sure. I adore my art journals. I love them and treasure them because they are an extension of the person I am. They are almost like one of my body parts! lol  I can not imagine my life without them at all! 

I am passionate about art journaling and want to encourage everybody to start keeping their own. It will help you more than you can ever imagined. My art journals have helped me to work through emotions, my drawings improved so much. I have grown and learned so much about myself.  It is a place where I am free to be just me. 

Take care and happy journaling!

Bye :)