Advantages of Journals for Artists
One of the best aspects of having a journal to house my art is that it helps me to eliminate the fear of judgment I sometimes have. I try to view my art journals simply as a record, a history of my creative successes and my experiments (nothing in art should be viewed as a failure- just a successful learning experience). I love that I don’t feel pressured to make “frame-worthy” art every time I start a project. I also love that I can store my journals on a shelf and pull them out to flip through them whenever I like. I know fear of judgment (whether by someone else or by my own inner critic) is something often felt by many of those who are just beginning to explore their creative sides and art journaling is a great way to get past that fear.
Making Handmade Journals
I enjoy making my own journals and find the process of building a journal to be very calming and meditative, since all the planning and thinking is done in advance. All I need to do is fold paper and weave my needle back and forth through the holes. I don’t have much experience with knitting or crocheting, but I image the feeling is very similar. If I am feeling stressed, or if I am feeling creatively blocked, it’s a great way to ease myself into a creative state of mind.
Most of the time, when I am making a journal for myself, I stick to the basics. My favorite design is my modular journal in which I use a simple stitch to create folded paper booklets that I can grab on the go and fill whenever the mood strikes. Later, when the pages are filled, I can stitch the individual booklets together with a cover (which can be as simple as a sheet of printed paper, or my own art) and to create a completed art journal.
If I am making a journal to give as a gift, I like to spend a little more time on it. I generally incorporate my art on the cover, or allow the beautiful printed papers and colorful string in creative patterns to make the book a piece of art that stands on its own. And by the way, handmade books make awesome gifts for everyone. Men, women, children, people of any age with any interests, you name it, I can come up with a theme for a journal that is so thoughtful and personal that the recipient will be thrilled to receive it.
About My Course Series: Create Artful Journal
In this workshop, you’ll learn how to make hand-stitched books and journals that are infused with art! I will show you how you can merge traditional 2-D art, like drawing and painting, as well as mixed media and encaustic art, with the art of the handmade book. This workshop is the perfect balance of fun-filled, expressive art projects and quietly meditative hand stitching techniques. And even better, your completed journals will not only provide a place for you to practice art techniques or showcase and preserve the things that are important to you, they make AMAZING GIFTS.
The full course includes 8 projects, each with narrated, real-time videos and printable project guides. Each project includes a demonstration of the art technique I used to create my cover, and the processes I use to create the structure of each book, from the preparation of the fill paper to the decorative bindings, embellishments and protective surface finishes. You will be amazed at the way everything comes together in the end, with custom art and design details that ensure each of your books and journals will be a one-of-a-kind work of art.
To learn more, click here.