Sunday, February 21, 2010

my name is emily and i am a journal starter



I am a journal starter. I am good at getting a nice, clean new journal full of blank pages. I am good at using the first pages. But then I quit. When my Virgo, perfectionist self takes over. When the pages get messy. Or when my handwriting gets messy. I quit. And then I start a new journal.

That is my pattern. I run a therapeutic journaling group and have for six years. I don't take my own advice and just put stuff out there and not worry about the end result. I hesitate and am afraid to have it not be pretty. I have always wanted to create some art and journaling that is just messy. I have gotten better and have let myself just play more than I used to. But still have struggled with doing this in journals. I must have so many of them in my box of high school and college memorabilia in my parent's shed. None are finished!

For the past few years I have carried around an inspiration book/journal with me. I get these 5x7 wire bound sketchbooks and fill them with magazine cutouts, card sketches, journaling, thoughts, gripes, etc. I don't let myself cut out pages if I don't like them. I have several volumes I have filled. This has been great. I use them when I sit down to scrap, knit, paint or make cards. But I really want to do an Art Journal. A place to just experiment, put down my thoughts. I want the pages to be heavier so they can handle layers of paint and stuff. I just bought the book Journal Spilling at my LSS Friday. I love it! So many awesome ideas I can use in my Art Therapy groups and for my own Art Therapy. I hope this marks the end of my journal starting addiction?

1 comment:

Tracy said...

You have just discribed me and my daughter. I have so many beautiful journals but they are just as pristine as when I bought them. I made my daughter a book journal. She has read 2 books this year. I asked if she has put them in her reading journal. she said she didn't want to mark it up. LOL

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