I discovered art journaling in the chaos of the pandemic. There was no space or time for my creativity in my chaotic family life. I was just surviving. Then I discovered art journaling. I discovered a way to reconnect with my inner artist by playing with colors, patterns and words in my journal. I discovered how to do it alongside my children. My art journal became my small studio-to-go where I could create every moment I wanted to.
Honestly, this journal from 2020 helped me survive that horrific pandemic year. It helped me see that I do not need a studio, fancy materials or all the time in the world to create. I just need a journal, some pens and a free mindset.
For me, art journaling is about playing. It is private art, just for me, my soul, my inner artist and my inner child. It can be messy, ugly, sad, joyful, whatever I want and need it to be.
Your art journal is a playground, not an art museum. What you create does not have to be beautiful. Just play. Follow your JOY. I know this can even be a bigger challenge for an adult, to follow your joy. But try it, try finding even the smallest glimpse of joy in creating and follow it.
Do not create to show it to somebody. Art journaling is for you, for your inner artist, for you to play freely, to discover, to come home to yourself and your creativity. Nobody will reward you for painting correctly or beautifully. This is not an art class in school. This is not public art. It is private, personal art. This is free art. This is HOME.
When I discovered art journaling during the pandemic, I misunderstood it, too, at first. I did not fully comprehend the abundance art journaling could give me: Playing freely and not giving a f*ck how anything looks like. At first, I thought I need to experiment with certain visual patterns. I thought my art journal needed to have a certain look. I felt the pressure that my art journal would have to prove that I am an artist. I assumed I needed to be able to show my art journal to other people.
But none of that matters.
You can make a mess and it is valid. You are perfect, even in making a mess. It can be abstract and it does not have to mean anything. I do not even buy into the idea of art journaling as expressing yourself. I do not even want to put that pressure onto you that these pages have to express your complex soul. Not even.
It is just play.
ART JOURNALING IS FREE PLAY IN YOUR PERSONAL ART PLAYGROUND, YOUR JOURNAL.
I am so happy you found me. I know how it feels to have a creative soul but to have lost contact with it because the needs of everybody else are just so loud. I know how empty it can feel when you do not even remember your own joy.
You will reconnect with your joy and creativity. It is gonna be so amazing! I can´t wait to see you playing : )!
Enjoy playing. Follow your joy to come home to yourself.
Love, Eva Bea
P.S.: I fully appreciate other creators having other methods and ideas about what art journaling is and I am happy about diversity especially in creative fields. So, this is MY way of art journaling. In this article, I write about the EVA BEA method of art journaling.