JOURNAL PAGES

These are just a few pages from my first complete journal. I have kept a journal off and on almost all my life. The thing I always tell friends and family when they talk about starting a journal is this: don't make too many rules about it, at least not at first. Get yourself a book that you love (or several - I have quite a collection of journals and I work in several simultaneously), a nice pen or two and just begin. If you don't know what to say then talk about that. Don't set limits for yourself. Don't say to yourself, "I MUST write EVERYDAY!" This only sets you up for failure. I definitely don't write in  mine everyday. In fact, I go weeks without writing anything more that a list of things to buy at the drugstore. I get bored if I just write and write and write about all of my woes and problems, with nothing to break it up visually. I have found that if I ad some artistic stuff to my journal I am much more likely to go back and re-read the things I have written. Sometimes a light will go on about a dream I had, or a situation I encountered. So, slowly begin to add some doodles to your pages, or sponge ink or paint onto the page before you begin writing. Now that my journal is complete, I find that, although there may be pages that I don't find particularly interesting or attractive, they look really good as part of the whole. No one can be expected to be 'on' all the time with respect to art journaling, so cut yourself some slack. Keep your journal private, at least at first. Share with only those whom you trust and only when you feel like it. Your journal is for you and for you alone. Revel in its ability to soak up all of your secrets...

One more note, I have provided  links to larger images of my journal pages. I am warning you right now that I get angry, I swear, and I have lots of nightmares. I'm not sure how much of my pages you can actually read here, but the point is, if you read my pages and get all offended because I use the 'f' word, don't come cryin' to me, cuz I warned you ahead of time....

This is the cover from my current journal (or, rather, one of my current journals) which has black pages. I'll post some stuff from it soon.

Some stuff from a journal that has heavy watercolor paper in it.

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