So on Friday afternoon - Melody came around and we both broke in our brand new Hand-bound Leather Carved Journals. I gave her one for her 40th birthday and Digz bought me one for Christmas and both of us were way too nervous to work in them... Well because they are just too lovely. But worst case, if we ruined them - I knew were to get more! So Friday was the day!
I am not a huge fan of working in journals. Well - I love the idea but in reality something else really happens. I get really stressed out about it that I have been known to start from the back. I don't know why it freaks me out so much. Put a massive white canvas in front of me - and it excites me. Put a blank journal in front of me - I try and hide it.
I had gone through all my tutorials from OpenStudio - so I was super keen to put some of what I learnt into practice. As for Mel - she's so comfie and fearless doing these pages. It was nice to have her around to make me feel safe. Corks joined us and well - she's so natural at it - it's like she's been doing it all her life... both Mel and her just dived in and started creating beautiful pages... I was of course... was paralyzed.
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| As you can see - Mel and Corks are stoked!!! And so they should be because they pages are gorgeous. Note my unimpressed face! ;-) |
All I did all afternoon was growl. I let my pages dry over the weekend and although I wasn't thrilled with my page - I was hoping something would happen in time. That being said - the creative play although I felt "grrrrrr" through it... It did put me in the mood for painting and I painted beautiful Lily afterwards - So I can totally get the value of creative play! And I love that. I think sometimes we forget to just have reckless fun in our pages, no matter where it takes us.
So last night after all my chores were done and the girls were tucked in bed, I walked past my Journal which was lying open and there was a pencil right there... and the rest as they say was history. I am pleased I pushed through my fears... because I am delighted with this page and the story!
Well... here's the progression...
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| Where I left my page on Friday Evening |
Baby Steps...
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| At 3am this morning - This is where I ended... And I have to say I am more than thrilled with this page I have a gap now to write down "Who I am?" |
I don't know what it is with journals either. I freeze! And yet I also love canvas. Maybe we feel that each page shoudl be a work of art or something.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's the idea of filing pages with art that I can't take out and frame. Or give away. Like they are stuck in that place forever. But that being said... it does open one up to wonderful creativity. Maybe it's also if it's an awful page - then it's also stuck there. :-)
Deletejust brilliant. such an honest account of the process . I think everyone should read this and realise that with pushing through comes great reward and satisfaction.
ReplyDeleteThank you my friend! Glad you did it with me. Also that sometimes it just is hard work but that always pays off!
DeleteI'm do grateful for this post...because I have a really hard time with art journaling, too. I have a hard time just playing, because if it's not gorgeous I feel like a failure. And the ironic thing is that most of my pieces are in a mixed media notebook...but it's certainly not An Art Journal. I have a couple of those, too, and a sketchbook, but they're barely used. I don't know how to play! Sigh. :P
ReplyDeleteThanks Beth - I am glad I am not the only one to struggle with this. I also have a sketch book and then I pull all the pages out. We are funny hey!
DeleteLet's keep pushing through.