Art Journal Every Day: 5 Tips for Finding Your Journal Style

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.  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, use the hashtag #artjournaleveryday so that we can all take a peek.  Even if you're not on social media, you can see everything (from twitter, pinterest, instagram, and facebook) that uses that hashtag here. 

I love that people in the world are interested in learning how I art journal.  BUT, I think it's really important for each and every artist to find their own personal journal style.  With that thought in mind, here are 5 tips for finding your art journaling style:

ONE: Do what comes easily.

I think we all feel like it has to be "work" in order to be great.  Nope.  I'm not telling you to stop improving or practicing, but I think it's important to go after all the stuff that comes easily to you -- colors you like, shapes you like, formats you like, etc.

I like faces.  I like colors.  I like stamps.  I like pattern.  I keep putting those things in my journal!

TWO: Don't compare yourself to others.

This is sooooo difficult.  But you can do it.  

There are so many journal artists whom I admire, but as soon as I start feeling jealous or down on myself, I remind myself that it's not a competition.  Sometimes it means that I need to unfollow people to protect myself.  That's okay.

THREE: Break the "rules."

Everyone tells you to get rid of that blank white page, but you like the white page?  Great!  Leave it. 

Everyone tells you that you have to have writing in your art journal but you don't want to?  Awesome!  Don't.  

Everyone tells you to gesso your pages, but you don't want to.  Rock on.  Leave the gesso off.

It's your book.  Be you.  Do you.  

FOUR: Copy and improve upon yourself.

Dr. Seuss had it right when he said: "No one is you-er than you." If you're looking for an idea for inspiration or something to copy, look no further than yourself!  Find a spread you love in an old journal.  Find a tag you decorated or a card you made that you think is great.  Be inspired by the things that you made and take them further.  Make them even better!  Don't look to Pinterest or Google Image Search, instead look inside your own portfolio of work.  You'll grab the things that are the essence of you and make them even more you.

That's a 2013 spread that inspired a 2016 spread.

FIVE: Do it as often as possible.

You know I'm a great believer in Art Journal Every Day.  Every day isn't always possible.  But art journaling with some frequency is vital to finding your style.  

On this spread you can see that I'm simply journaling every day with a bit of stamping mixed in.  That's a very small time commitment, but after 5 days, a beautiful page is completed!

I hope you'll give these tips a try.  AND if *you* have any advice on how you found your personal art journaling style, I'd love to hear it, so leave a comment!

Thanks for stopping by!