Your Art Journal

Tips for Getting Started... and Working Past Journaling Block

Sometimes staring a blank page makes all creative ideas suddenly disappear. Perhaps one of the biggest obstacles is our own internal censor and critic, but remember this quote from Henry Ford: "Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right." The thing about art journals that makes them so special is that there is no right or wrong. If you put it in there, it's yours and it's right. If you're stuck or don't know how to start, here are some tips and prompts:

ponder an inspiring quote or a good memory
find a photo of someone you don't know and make up a short story or description of the person
use last night's dream as a starting point - for written material or drawings
describe your mood today with pictures and color
make lists (eg: books you've read, movies you like, things you want to do, 10 things you'd want on a desert island, etc...)
open the dictionary to any page, point at a word and use it to start a page
sketch fantasy animals
describe your 5 favorite smells... or 5 least favorite
ask your self questions and answer them (eg: 'What traditions do I keep?', 'Who is my hero?' 'What am I grateful for today'?, etc.)
use the current season to inspire you
start with a collage... you can add to it later with more layers, or written word
begin when you're feeling strongly about something... or just feeling a particular emotion strongly
if you have art supplies hanging around that you've been too afraid to use or have been unsure of how to use them, this is the time! Experiment!
if you travel or go anywhere really, you can collect things... business cards, napkins, ticket stubs, post cards, brochures, photos, etc... and add these to your journal. Call it 'A Day in the Life of...' !
design a pattern and cover the whole page with it
remember someone close to you who has passed away
research something you find interesting and draw pictures/take notes on it

The possibilities are endless! You could even make your own list of tips for when you get stuck. Also, if you look up 'art journaling' on YouTube you will find many videos of artists sharing their pages and showing the supplies they use. Checking this out may inspire you, plus they often have links or web addresses to their own pages and blogs for further tips and tricks. There is an art community out there you've just got to find it!

Here are a couple videos to get you going!