Every artist's journey looks different and artistic creativity is expressed through various media and platforms. Art journaling is a trending buzzword within the arts and craft community and is a simple means of practising and growing your skills. An art journal (or visual diary) is an unintimidating “canvas” allowing you to just be arty with no rules and no expectations.
Art journaling is a fun pastime; a blank tool for you to collect and house your creative thoughts and ideas through a colour palette of choice, images (abstract or detailed), doodles and the odd word or quote (calligraphy style, of course) - any time and anywhere. Any art supplies will suffice - whatever you have on hand or whatever medium you want to experiment with. We’re talking coloured markers, pencils, paints and inks, charcoal or oil pastels. You can even use pressed flowers for a nature-inspired narrative. But whatever takes your fancy, art journaling starts with the humble notebook or sketchpad.
The secret joy and healing power of art journaling is that it is for your eyes only - a page gallery of visual self-reflection and self-expression through colour, pattern and images.
Just begin
If you suffer from ‘artist’s block’ or are just plain scared to start painting, then an art journal is undoubtedly a potential muse and motivator. You don’t have to be ‘good enough,’ you just have to want to create and express yourself - and that spark resides in each one of us and it needs a visual outlet. So, grab a blank notebook and a few art supplies and just begin. Start with a quote or an observation, add a squiggle and the rest will just flow.
Just explore
Exploration and experimentation are often the catalysts for creativity and art, and that is exactly why you should attempt art journaling. You have the freedom to splatter the paint (Jackson pollock style), smudge colours together, scribble to your heart’s content or try your hand at media such as oil pastels, inks or watercolours. This is your opportunity to just play. Grab the art supplies you want to experiment with and just be. (It really is freeing).
Just practise
Art is a skill and can be learnt. All it takes is passion and some practice. That is where art journaling is invaluable to your creative development. You get to practise a technique, a skill or with a medium. And there is no pressure. As you look back at your pages, you will see your improvement and your own style emerging. There is an inner artist in all of us and an art journal is just the place to discover yours.
Just create
Be inspired by the masters and just start creating. Picasso filled 178 sketchbooks (aka art journals or visual diaries) to explore his themes before he transposed them to a painting on canvas. And Leonardo Da Vinci’s renown includes his sketchbooks filled with drawings, ideas designs and written notes that became artworks or inventions. Let your art journaling be the visual inspiration to catapult you into the wonderful world of art supplies.
If you are a beginner to art journaling, then watch this video for some fun and easy inspiration starters.
Just shop online
If your fingers are itching to express their creativity or start telling a visual story, The Art Materials Company is the place to hang out online to satisfy that urge. We stock quality brands of art and craft supplies to get beginners started and keep seasoned artists producing artworks.
FInd you how you can express your artistic personality and then open your art journal and just start visually interpreting your emotions, ideas and thoughts. That’s all it takes to start your art journey.
