Art Journal Every Day: Top 5 Reasons to Art Journal
January 15, 2016
If you're new to Art Journal Every Day, there is a short introduction here. All of the previous posts can be found archived here. 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. If you've done some art journaling this week and you've blogged about it, or put it on flickr, please leave a link in the linky list at the end of this post. Thanks!
If you haven't started art journaling yet...well, what's wrong with you? And if you've started and stopped, perhaps today's post will get you going again!
Mom and I were chatting last night and I started to wax poetic about all the reasons I love art journaling. She told me to make a list and share it. And so, that's what I'm doing today!
NUMBER ONE: You will get better at art.
Seriously.
Back in 2013, I wrote this post all about my art journal journey thus far. It was truly amazing to see how much my journaling had changed, but it's nothing compared to recent evolution. And never mind the art in my journal, how about the art that I make outside of my journal?! I can honestly say that every big advancement in my art making has stemmed from experimentation and exploration in my art journal, plus a commitment to regularly making art in my journal.
NUMBER TWO: Community.
Whether it's online or in person, the art journaling community is strong, supportive, creative, and fun! Join us!
NUMBER THREE: It's cheaper than therapy.
Whether you pour out your heart in lots of handwritten journaling, or simply take ten-minutes a day to yourself to stamp and stencil, art journaling soothes the soul. I can tell you from personal experience that I am more tense, less kind, more fragile, and less patient when I spend days away from my art journal. An art journal is a great place to dump your feelings, work it out, and just breathe.
NUMBER FOUR: You use a lot of stuff, so you can buy a lot of stuff.
This is kind of a joke, but it's kind of true too. I often find myself standing in an art supply store and looking at something I want to buy and justifying it by saying, "Oh, I'll use it in my art journal." The art journal can be so many things and be used in so many ways, that it provides the justification for the purchase of all kinds of art supplies!
NUMBER FIVE: It doesn't take up a lot of time or space.
Listen, you can use a million things in your art journal (see item number four), but you can also use just a small group of supplies to make magical things happen on your pages. It's a great lap craft -- for planes, trains, couches, and hotel rooms. Furthermore, for years I've been advocating the ten-minute a day approach to art journaling. It's an approach that works for me and allows me to make a daily commitment. You can do great things with just a few minutes a day!
What are the reasons you art journal? I'd love to know!
Here is this week's linky list:
Thanks for stopping by!