Hi my loves and welcome back to my sketchbook where today we’re doing a bit of art journaling.
This sketchbook session is sponsored by Skillshare, more on that in a bit, but for now, let’s
talk journaling.
Art journaling can be one of the most enjoyable creative practices.
It’s a way to record memories, practice your art in a more casual setting, or just
let go and express yourself completely freely in your sketchbook.
And on the surface, it’s something that should just come easily, it doesn't need to
look good, it’s more something you do for the process than the outcome; to reflect,
and to just spend some time with yourself.
But- and I know I’m not alone in this- for some reason, it can be a bit daunting to start
an art journal spread when you’re used to being more plan and structure-oriented and
perfectionistic- if that’s a word.
You want to be able to document those memories, give your scrap souvenirs and photos and notes
a home, or just play with collage and colour, but the perfectionist in you finds it hard
to just let go and go with the flow.
There are a few things that have worked for me in combating this and just journaling without
worrying about the outcome, and I thought I’d share those with you all today since
it’s something I’ve been asked about a lot in the past.
To start with, before I even begin an art journal spread, I go through all my scrapbooking
supplies, all my stickers and photos and magazine cut-outs and art and whatever else, and I
pick out anything that I think might work well together.
I get a feel for what kind of theme or colour scheme I want to go for- it helps that a lot
of the supplies I buy fall into a sort of neutral, or vintage or pastel category and
I have a lot of stuff with plants and flowers on too, but I still have supplies for if I
wanted to go completely bold and colourful or dark and moody etc.- so I just figure out
what the vibe is that day and gather supplies that work with that so instead of sitting
down with my sketchbook and being confronted with endless overwhelming possibilities, I’m
still giving myself loads of different options, but I’m also confident it’s not all going
to clash.
One way, if you’re not confident with colour harmony and colour schemes, to still have
variation on your page without using lots of different colours is to use one or two
of the same colour but in different textures or patterns.
Another great way to instantly add some depth to your page is to add some kind of background
to at least a portion of the page.
The most daunting thing is always the blank page, and wondering how to start, so knowing
that you’ll start with a bit of a background is going to jumpstart you into settling into
things and getting comfortable in your creative session.
To build confidence in your decisions, it’s always a good idea to vaguely test the layouts
of things before you stick them down, try different combinations for layering and positioning
before you commit.
I say vaguely because what you don’t want to do is get trapped in over-planning.
I say this as a fellow perfectionist, you can waste so much time overthinking things
and wanting to have it all figured out before you actually make a decision.
If you work like that, not only will you probably not get a lot done, or it’ll at least take
forever, but you also miss out on a lot of the joy that comes with spontaneous moments
of trial and error and the meditative moments that come with creative journaling.
While we’re on the topic of the joys of art journaling, I have to recommend lovely
Amanda Rach Lee’s Skillshare class ‘Art Journaling for Self-Care: 3 Exercises for
Reflection and Growth’ where she talks about just getting what’s in your head down on
paper, regardless of your artistic ability- she gives some tips on ways she likes to decorate
her pages but even more valuable is how she encourages you to let go and capture your
thoughts and the moments that are unique to you.
Amanda’s such a joy, she’s a fantastic teacher, and if you want to take this class,
I will have a link below to the class and a new Skillshare deal that will apply to all
of you, even if you’ve used one of my discount codes before.
Skillshare is an online learning community that is a base for creatives to explore thousands
upon thousands of classes on topics such as Illustration, Animation, Photography and Entrepreneurship.
It is completely ad free, the focus is really on learning and just following where your
creativity takes you, and they’re launching new premium classes all the time.
As I said, they’re offering a new deal to my viewers so the first 1000 of you to click
the link in the description will actually get 30% off an annual Premium Membership.
Even if you’ve already had a free trial of Skillshare, you can still take advantage
of this offer to get an entire year of unlimited learning and creative exploration.
Now if you’re still feeling apprehensive in your journal, make the most of less permanent
choices.
Washi tape is great for sticking things down because if you don’t like it, it’s pretty
easy to just peel up and try again.
The type of glue stick I’m using is somewhat flexible as well in that you have a little
bit of time to slide things around before the glue sets.
Also incorporating pockets into your spreads, or things like photo corners, if you have
a special photo or memento that you might not permanently want to have stuck into your
sketchbook- a pocket gives you the option to take it out whenever you want.
And tying in with that would be to work on a separate piece of paper rather than directly
on the sketchbook page.
Things like handwriting or doodles are things you can draw separately and then stick in
if you’re worried about making a mess or a spelling mistake and wanting to scribble
it out.
That said, the rough around the edges look, the imperfection, is something you can really
embrace.
Your journal is a bit of you, and it’s for you, so don’t be afraid to be yourself,
warts and all.
If that means smudges or paint splatters or words crossed out, those little touches can
add such a raw and honest and welcoming feel to your page and take the pressure off for
future entries.
On that topic, art journaling regularly is really the best way to let go of control.
You get into a flow of how you like working, you figure out what works for you and what
doesn’t, you make loads of mistakes at once, which takes away the fear of making mistakes
in the future, it’s just a great way to find your authentic creative voice.
You might want to set yourself the challenge to art journal every day for a week.
Set aside a certain time, maybe come up with a list of prompts for each day, and set a
time-limit, really force yourself to come up with something tangible without overthinking.
Finally, I would just encourage you to do it your way.
It’s fun to look at other peoples journals, to be inspired or even just in awe, but don’t
feel like you have to make yours look like that.
If you want to go for more of a minimalist look, something more writing-heavy, or something
more textural and scrapbooky, a complete maximalist look, if you want to work in monochrome one
day and then you’re in the mood for every colour that exists the next day, remember
that this is all for you, so do whatever you feel like.
I hope I’ve helped at least a little in easing some of the pressure you might have
put on yourself.
Art journaling is such a calming and personal experience, it would genuinely mean the world
to me to know that at least one person watching this will go on to get as much joy from it
as I do.
Otherwise guys, thanks so much for joining me for this one.
Let us know in the comments if you have any other tips for us all.
Don’t forget to check out my Skillshare link for 30% off a year of premium membership.
And I’ll see you soon for the next video.
Bye!