Journal Addict!!

 "One of the best-kept secrets in this technically oriented culture is that simply speaking truth heals." -  Rachel Remen, M.D.
 I love art journaling!! Always have. But lately, I have been obsessing over it, getting up in the (very) early hours of the morning to work on my pages. With no rhyme or reason...working on new and old pages as my heart and soul dictate...art journaling has been consuming me full time. I think because I have been working so hard at recovery lately...spilling all my thoughts, feelings and images onto these pages is a natural extension of that. And for some reason...as soon as I open my journal and start working...my inner critic gets kicked to the curb;! Brilliant!! Also...I love the small pages, the "no rules" mindset and combining text and image. And it has been so cathartic!! There is magic...alchemy...healing that emerges from art journaling...storytelling from the soul. 

 Now for some practical matters...you can use almost any book for art journaling. Recycled ones (I love buying used books and gluing the pages together to form a sturdy surface, applying gesso and collage and then going to town!), you can make a book yourself (love watercolor pages cut to size) ...the options are endless. I prefer a book without too many pages...it seems less daunting that way. And I tend to like to name each of my journals. It works for me because they represent a certain theme or time period but one of the beauties of (art) journaling is that anything goes. 

And I have recently tried out these Derwent Ink Blocks which I love and adore. There are so many different ways to use them (water soluble and can mix with oils!), rich colors and gorgeous tones. A whole other blog post on my fave. art supplies coming up!!

art heals

After Tara went to sleep tonight...I went into my studio and started unpacking some of my boxes. I found my watercolors and went straight to my table and painted this. I am not sure if you can see it in the photo...but it's still wet. After a couple of weeks plus (it actually seems much longer!!) of being horribly sick...and then Tara coming down with a flu this past week..I was so in need to just let time stand still and paint. My studio is a raving mess, let me tell you...but I don't care!! It will come together...whenever.

It just feels so good to paint again...to let my heart + mind + soul come together. There is something about the creative process that is both magical and medicinal. I was starting to feel an attack of the gremlins...you know...the "my work is not good enough" , "her/his work is soooo much better", " I'll never catch up on all I need to" etc etc. But after just doing this painting...I am focused on my art, my path, my process. It's all part of the ups and downs of creating...it has to come from deep inside our souls + hearts...and then we can birth our art...gremlins and all:)