Art Journal Every Day: Why I Art Journal

If you're new to Art Journal Every Day, all the posts can be found here.  Please read this post first.  There is a flickr group for sharing right here.  Remember, it's just ten minutes of nourishing your creative self every day!  No need to finish anything or even like it.

 Hello 2012! 

Well, it's the first Art Journal Every Day post of a brand new year and I'm sure you're already overcommited with resolutions and year long projects and lots of big plans. And so I have some awesomely good news for you: you don't actually have to art journal every day to be a part of Art Journal Every Day.

Counterintuitive, isn't it?

And yet, it's totally true.  This weekend I sat and reviewed my 2011 daily art journal and it was a lovely experience.  So many memories held in the pages of that big 'ol Moleskine.  And the memories weren't even in the writing.  I remember each of the paintings and the doodles and the pretty postcards I taped in the back.  There were photos and newspaper clippings and inky messes throughout that each brought back a flood of memories.  And although there are more days missing from that album than days represented, it still holds a year full of memories, changes, growth, and artful expression. 

Recently someone posted a question on one of my art journaling YouTube videos and I thought it was rather an appropriate place to begin our year of art journaling together:

Can I ask you a question? I don't get this, I love art and the creation of art. I have times in my life I feel inspired to make things. I have my own channel here also, but I don't get the art journaling thing. What is it for? Is it to let out random free form art? Does it help artist's block? (I feel that often, like my flow is stuck) I like to make cards and scrapbook pages, but feel like they have a reason.

What an interesting question.  Let's pull it apart.

What is it for?

I'm sure that my answer is not everybody else's answer, but for me:

• I art journal as a way of experimenting with ideas and techniques.
• I art journal as a method of memory keeping.
• I art journal to express my feelings.
• I art journal to process my feelings.
• I art journal to make pretty art.
• I art journal to use up leftover supplies.
• I art journal to allow myself to fail.
• I art journal to use up all of my bad ideas.
• I art journal to learn about myself.

Is it to let out random free form art?

Yes.

Does it help artist's block?

Yes.

I like to make cards and scrapbook pages, but feel like they have a reason.

 I'm going to make a huge assumption here (and you know what they say about assumptions, don't you?): I believe that this commenter is giving away her cards and making her scrapbook pages for her family.  And that gives them purpose because they're "for someone." 

Please don't ever forget that you are someone too.

And making something just for you should be reason enough to create.

If no one ever sees my art journal but me, that's fine.  Because the most important reason that I art journal is because I enjoy it.

So if you're up for a little bit of "you" time every day (or every other day, or simply when you can) I hope you'll join us for Art Journal Every Day this year.  

You can grab a button for your blog by copying the text in the box:

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I'm doing the "sign-ups" a little bit differently in 2012.  Instead of committing ahead of time (and then feeling guilty if you don't do it), every week I'll ask you to link us up to an art journal page you made that week.  You can post it on your blog, on flickr, in a scrapbooking gallery, wherever you want.  This is a no guilt game.  If you get a little art journaling done, great!  If you don't, c'est la vie.

So, here we go with the first linky list of the year!  If you have an art journal spread to share, please use the linky list to leave a link.  And please link to a specific post (rather than your general blog url) or a specific photo (rather than your general flickr stream).

Thanks for stopping by!