So what is this “visual journaling” thing all about? Visual journaling or art journaling seems to be the popular way to journal these days. With all this attention on art journaling, I think a lot of people who just write think, what’s the big deal?

I myself prefer just writing in my journals, but I do have visual journal entries scattered here and there in my journaling between pages of just written entries. My visual journal entries are spaces for me to experiment and play, use up bits of collage material, see what happens if I put that color on top of that one. More often than not my imagery has nothing to do with the written entry. But sometimes it does, and that visual imagery just serves to reinforce the written.

The first time I became aware of a consciously deliberate visual journal was in high school when I ran across a book on the diary of Frida Kahlo. I was blown away and knew that I wanted to have a book just like that! The Diary of Frida Kahlo: An Intimate Self-Portrait. Here is another book that will knock your socks off: The Journey is the Destination: The Journals of Dan Eldon

an art journal entry from my handbound journal

Visual Journaling combines the written and the visual. It’s as simple as that. Some art journalers dedicate a whole journal just to visual journal entries. Page after page is filled with collage, paintings, sketches, plus writing. Some people even skip the writing and explore their thoughts, feelings and experiences purely through visual means. The journal becomes a piece of art in and of itself. A container, of sorts.

So why do a visual journal entry?
- creating a visual page can often express a feeling or an experience that you may have a hard time putting into words
- during the process of creating with imagery and color, you may reveal more about yourself or your situation that you are journaling about than if you had just written an entry about it
- allows you to flex those creative muscles
- allows you to play and explore without any pressure
- this flexing and playing could inspire you to do something bigger and deeper
- what else are you going to do with your pack-rat tendencies? It’s a place to use your collage papers, ephemera and photos.
- it’s fun and will make your journal feel scrumptious in your hands!

links and resources:
+Dawn DeVries Sokol’s book 1,000 Artist Journal Pages: Personal Pages and Inspirations (1000 Series) is filled with many different artist journal pages, 1,000 of them in fact. The great thing about this book is that it shows that there is no one right way to visual journal. I am proud to have a few of my spreads in Dawn’s book.

+L.K. Ludwig wrote a fantastic book called True Vision: Authentic Art Journaling L.K. is a wonderful writer and offers many insights into creating visual journals as well prompts to guide you. Two pieces of mine are also in this book.

Also check out L.K.’s blog , especially on Friday’s as she has just started doing a visual journal prompt every Friday.

+ One cannot talk about visual journaling without mentioning Teesha Moore. Just go see for yourself.

+Visit Kelly Kilmer to be inspired by her visual journal pages. She also teaches workshops on visual journaling, online and off.

+I have just discovered this art journaling blog One Artist Journal. Her work is just wonderful. She also teaches workshops on art journaling.

+Dispatch from LA blog will just inspire you to pull out a journal and all the ticket stubs, random papers and stencils you have been collecting and go at it. She is about to start an online workshop. I believe it starts soon.

There are so many resources out there, but those are just a few to get your creative juices going.
The next couple of posts will be focusing on visual journaling techniques, but those of you who are just writers, don’t despair. I will return to writing prompts, but also always with a tip for the visually inclined.

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Several years ago I saw a movie during the Seattle Independent Film festival about a 20-something woman who comes face to face with her 12 year old self. Their encounter is an awakening to her, making her take stock of her life.

Write a journal entry to your 12 year old self- what would you say to that younger self? Is there any advice you would give?

visual journal entry by Julie Prichard

The words that mixed media artist Julie Prichard wrote above in her journal entry are words that I wish I could tell my younger self. Actually, they are good words to keep in mind even now in my current life!

Visual journal tip:
Find a photo of yourself a 12 and make a copy to use in your journal. Either glue this copy in just so and write around the image, or do a transer.
Here is a very easy way to do a black and white phototransfer transfer:
1. Photocopy your image. The ink has to be toner ink.
2. Brush on Gel Medium onto the image. There are so many gel mediums, but my favorite is any medium made by Golden. And right now, I am really liking the
Golden Acrylic Gel MediumsHeavy Gel Semi-Gloss. I switch gels and mediums every so often. So, right now I am using the Heavy Gel Semi-gloss.
3. Lay image and gel face down onto your page. Burnish really well. You can use a brayer, a bone fold or even the back of a spoon. Let this sit for a while. If you can wait at least an hour that would be good.
4. Spray water onto the paper and start to rub off the pulp off the back of your image. You should start to see that the ink has transferred to your receiving paper.

mixed media self portrait

The above image is not an image of a 12 year old me, but it is an example of a transfer using a photo of myself. Using your own photos and photos of yourself and those in your life can really enhance your journal entries. It brings an even more personal and intimate documentation of your life to accompany your words and your thoughts.

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Do you ever find that when you are writing with a reader in mind that your writing is a little bit more descriptive? I find that when I write a letter to someone I add more details, more explanation, more anecdotes because I think that I need to fill my recipient in. If I am just writing for myself, I tend to leave details out because I figure that I already know what I am talking about. But by doing so I leave out so much richness!

Or do you find that when you are writing to a person that the tone of your writing changes? For example you may write with a more humorous tone because you want your letter to be entertaining. Or perhaps your tone is more direct and to the point.

Try writing a journal entry as if you were writing a letter to someone. You can even pick a specific person you are writing to. Write to your spouse or significant other one day. Write a letter to someone you have lost. This is not necessarily a sad exercise, but rather a way to reconnect.

Write to a sibling or best friend or even a historical figure. Get creative! Write to your child- tell a story about them, tell them who they are at that point in their life, give them advice for the future.

visual journal entry by Julie Prichard

Mixed media artist Julie Prichard often creates visual journal entries around advice she would like to pass on to her young daughter. She says of these journal entries that, “I often find myself giving advice to myself or my daughter on the pages,hoping that one day she reads through the journals and is inspired. As I look through my journal collection, I find many pages written to her.”

Julie Prichard, visual journal entry open mind

You can see more of Julie Prichard’s mixed media work at The Lost Luggage blog.

Stay tuned for part two of letter writing prompts with visual journal tips next Tuesday….

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The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say. ~Anaïs Nin

There are several ways to incorporate quotes into your journaling. One way is to have a journal dedicated solely to housing your quote collection. Don’t forget to write where you got it from, as you may want to go back to the source in the future. This journal can be a handy little reference for you as well.

Quotes can also be used as a prompt for a journal entry. Write the quote down at the top of the page and write about why those words speak to you. What moved you to write those words down? How does it apply to your life? Maybe you just like the quote and wanted to keep it somewhere, but maybe it speaks to something deeper. Use your journal to delve into the deeper currents.

a simple doodle inspired by a quote in my journal

::To add visual interest to your journals::

- use alphabet stamps to record the quote in your journal
- cut out the words from a printed page and glue them down
- experiment with fonts and lettering
- write your quote down and illustrate it with collage or a drawing.
- paint your page with fluid acrylics or ink. Use a white gel pen or a white-out pen to write your quote on top of the paint.
- if you have painted your pages already and collaged it up, but have trouble with writing on top of the art and are tired of ruining your pens, try this: Brush some Fine Pumice Gel made by Golden on top of your paint or collage. Let dry. Your surface is now ready to take pen, pencil, even pastel!

visual journal page by Jeannine Peregrine

::online resources for quotes::

There are many web sites to find quotes, but here are a few of my favorites.
artquotes.net
quotegarden.net
higherawareness.com – you can subscribe to a daily quote email delivered to your inbox

visual journal page by artist Jeannine Peregrine

To see more of Jeannine’s inspiring journal pages and artwork visit her at her web site.

I would hurl words into this darkness and wait for an echo, and if an echo sounded, no matter how faintly, I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of hunger for life that gnaws in us all.
~Richard Wright, American Hunger, 1977

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There are more ways to journal than just keeping track of daily activities. Some people find it helpful to keep themed journals. Here are some examples:

Meditation/Prayer Journal: Keep inspirational quotes in this journal and a record of specific prayers or meditations. Think of this journal as a place to seek guidance and answers from your higher power and as a daily record of what God is doing in your life. This can also be a form of a gratitude journal- keeping a list of daily things to be grateful for can really enrich our perspective on the abundance in our lives.

a beaded journal entitled “Milagros”, 2005

inside page of the “Milagros” book

Travel Journal: Writing as you travel will capture as much and even more of the essence of your trip than just photographs. Write during layovers, on a bus, or at the day’s end. Paste or write in your itinerary. Bring along an envelope to collect ticket stubs, pamphlets, programs, brochures, postcards, etc.

Family/Child’s Journal:Keep track of the big events and even more importantly, the little details, of your family’s life. Write down milestones in your child’s development. Have your child write an entry describing a family even in their own words, without any adult input. You may be surprised by what he or she experienced!

Quote Journal: Collect your favorite quotes in a journal dedicated solely for this purpose. Don’t forget to write where you got it from, as you may want to go back to that book again.

Grief and Healing Journal: Use a journal to help you during an illness, a death of a loved one, or even a dissolution of a relationship. So many emotions and issues come to the surface we deal with the mortality of being human. Journaling can help you cope with loss. If you have lost a loved one, a grief and healing journal can be used to maintain “communication” with him or her. On birthdays or anniversaries of his or her death, write to that person and describe how the past year has gone.

Dream Journal: Keep this journal by your bed and write down your dreams as soon as you wake up. Dreams can be very telling of how we feel about current situations. Or sometimes, they are so bizarre that you just have to write them down! For creative types- our dreams are tools to enhance our creativity. Tune into your dreams and find your personal symbols. Let your dreams inspire your paintings, writings, music making, etc.

Garden Journal: A gardening journal can be used to help you plan what you plant and when you plant. You can plot out of the garden which can also help you keep track of what that plant was when it finally comes up! Observe and write about what grows and lives in your garden. Close observation with a journal can really open up the mysteries and wonder of the seasons in relation to the earth and to ourselves.

Remember: You can never journal wrong. Your journal is whatever you want or need it to be.

For the visually inclined:

Themed Visual Journal: Pick a theme to explore visually in one book. By reworking the same theme over and over again, you will delve deeper into meaning, motifs and also technique. Here is a sample of one of my visual journals. This was a collaborative project and took about two years to complete. My personal growth from this project was tremendous.

visual journal with the theme of “journey”, 2005-2007

spread in the journey book

Studio Journal: Working on a series? Need to write an artist statement? Keep a studio journal- jot down discoveries, ideas, inspiration. Keep a list of paint color combos that are working for you. This journal can be a powerful tool and useful resource.

Artist Shayla Perreault Newcomb shared with me recently that she herself keeps several journals.
-a daily gratitude journal that is all writing, mostly lists
-a free form journal, again all writing
-a written art journal that includes “lots of messy writing and planning”
-a visual art journal
You can view more of her work at her web site.

Like I said, there are so many ways to journal, don’t limit yourself to any preconceived ideas. Journaling is there for you to use as you see fit, not the other way around! Most importantly enjoy the time you have set aside for youself to journal. Whether it is a leisurely hour late at night, or three minutes before your bus arrives, it is your time. Honor it.

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Keeping a journal can be so helpful towards attaining goals because it allows us to reflect, adjust, and plan accordingly.  The beginning of the new year is the perfect time to sit with your journal and envision what you would like from the year ahead.  Write that vision down even if it seems far-fetched.  The first step to attaining any dream is to actually dream it.

Maybe you want to finally take that dream vacation- where is it, what will you be doing, how will you be feeling?

Maybe you want to finally clear out a neglected room and make it your dream studio, or mediation room, or playroom or…. – what does it look like, what will you be doing in there, how will you feel when it’s done?

Maybe your goal is to feel healthier- how will you feel, what does “healthier” actually mean?

After envisioning your dream/goal, you may want to try listing steps on how to make that happen.  Taking baby steps is much easier than a full long leap.  And you will feel more accomplished.

You can use your journal as a tool to work things out.  By writing it down, abstract thoughts and ideas take on a reality.  By breaking it down into little steps, we may actually achieve our goal. Or we can learn that maybe the goal needs to be re-evaluated.

Visualize what you want to do before you do it. Visualization is so powerful that when you know what you want, you will get it. :::Audrey Flack:::

For those of you who are more visually oriented:

Do this same journal entry with images.  Tear out images from magazines that may encompass your dream.  Glue it down in your journal.  Or cut out words that capture what you want or that express your feelings.

Here are some examples from a journal I had several years ago when I was envisioning taking the creative path in life.

a collage of different artist’s studios collected from magazines

A dream studio found in a magazine. I intended to fill all the space around the photo with words/phrases that had special meaning for my life at that point. Or words/phrases of things that I wanted in my life.

a designer’s studio and a quote from the article

A coil bound journal like the one used in the above spreads are available in the amanobooks clearance section.

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Please visit my art blog for a chance to win a free copy of Dawn Sokol’s book 1,000 Artist Journal Pages: Personal Pages and Inspirations (1000 Series). This book will provide visual eye candy and inspiration for both the beginner and the seasoned art journaler.

Just go to Contemplating the Moon Blog and leave a comment, making sure to leave a blog address or email address so that I can ge in touch with you if you win. I will be pulling a name on December 26th.

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