Have you ever heard about art journaling? Yes, it is fun and yes, it will release an enormous creative potential in YOU. Just give it a try and let yourself be an artist. No special skills needed. Art journaling works not only for designers, but also for filmmakers, musicians and… lawyers. Seriously, it is for everybody. Just grab a piece of paper and trust your intuition!
Text and photos by Joanna Wróblewska
Art journal examples by Jessey Fokkinga and Joanna Wróblewska
Art journal is a visual diary on any theme that consists of a collection of self-made images. It can be a record of your journeys, dreams, daily experiences, moods or inspirations. You do not need much to start it. Few pieces of paper, a bunch of printed pictures, a glue stick, a pen, a brush and acrylic paints will be enough. You can doodle, paint, sketch, make collages or mix many different techniques on each page. Art journals can consist of loose pages or become books of many different formats.
1. Art journaling feeds your brain
We are extremely busy. We get tired of thinking too much. We experience burn-outs. Our creativity disappears quickly like a morning mist. Why is it so? Mainly because we are either not focused enough or work too much. We do not feed our brains, so they are starving. Our creativity dies when not fed every single day. Working on an art journal will nourish your brain and make it happy. I tried it myself! Trust me, there is no better way to stimulate creativity and refresh your weary soul that asks for more attention, time and space.
2. Art journaling shapes your character and… portfolio!
Physical exercises give the best effects when regularly done. It is exactly the same with art journaling. Planning activities and finding a moment every day to develop yourself shapes the character and supports your self-confidence. On top of that making one art journal page every day gives you around thirty pages a month and more than three hundred pages a year! That is enough to create a beautiful and original collection of appealing images!
3. Art journaling is fun
Yes, we need fun. There is no creativity without having fun. Companies like Booking, Amazon and Google know it very well. There would be no Gmail without Google employees playing and experimenting with innovative projects in their free time! Art journaling is fun and it can me highly inspiring, so give yourself time to experiment and put your ideas on paper. Who knows where will you end up? Maybe as a creative director or a senior designer in one of the most famous companies in your business? Start small with art journaling, but think big about the future and start to shape it now on paper.
Learn more:
How to create and keep an art journal?
Art Journaling resources, tips, techniques and prompts
Useful advise on art journaling
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- Art Journal created by Jessey Fokkinga
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- You can use photographs in art journals
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- Writing is a good art journal exercise
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- Another art Journal created by Jessey Fokkinga
