Why Art Journal?

I get asked this question - a lot! It is a really good question and there are a lot of really good answers. You have probably seen most of them already.

We art journal because:

• it is good for our mental health and reduces stress

• it is a safe space to process emotions and reflect on our lives

• it is a great way to try out new things and develop our skills

All of the above are true and make art journaling a positive way to express ourselves and be creative. I definitely enjoy it for all of these reasons. But for me personally the 2 biggest reasons to journal are that it helps me to:

Let go of perfection

Learn to play

These are both things that I struggle with and art journaling provides a no pressure space to practice them. I was brought up to work hard, follow the rules and be productive - 'wasting time', daydreaming and being creative weren't part of the roadmap that I grew up with. So, even now, I feel guilty for doing something just because I feel like it, for playing with colours and textures without any end product in mind or for taking the scenic route rather than the most efficient one! Creating in an art journal means that I am not under pressure to make something 'good enough' to go in a frame or be shared with others as a card. I can try ideas out without worrying about 'messing it up' or 'doing it wrong'. Do these sound like the kinds of phrases that go through your head when creating?!

However, despite knowing this, I still find the old habits of perfectionism and self editing creeping in. In fact, I have ended up using different journals for different purposes. For example, I have my 'good' journal where I stick pages that I really like. I don't often work directly in that journal in case I 'spoil' it! I make mini journals, concertina and tag books for projects on a single theme as they can be a weekend project that I can complete (and feel productive!). And I have my junky art journals made from mismatched papers - book pages, patterned papers, watercolour paper, old maps etc which are my proper playgrounds. There is something freeing about the mismatched pages - less blank space for a start. The thrown together nature of the journal makes perfectionism less relevant - I can splash coffee on the pages, add scraps from other projects, mop up spare paint and jump backwards and forwards adding small touches to pages as I feel like it.

This year, as I have tried to slow down and take pleasure in creativity for its own sake, my art journaling practice has become even more important to me. I really enjoy leafing through my journals and feeling the textures on the pages of these chunky little books of imperfection. They remind me to be present and take the scenic route more often. So now, when I am asked why I art journal, I feel much more comfortable with the answer 'just because I can'!

If you are looking for a weekend art journaling project to get you started, you can try our Escape to the Forest Envelope Journal class. It is a simple, entry level project and comes with the full set of digital papers to decorate your journal. All you need is a few envelopes to make your journal base!

Check out this fun weekend project!

Escape to the Forest

Do you art journal and, if so, why is it important to you? I would love to hear :)