Although I don’t consider myself a writer, I have two journals, and I just started a third last night. As a visual artist, I prefer art journals rather than writing journals as I tend to express myself more with images than words. I allow myself to be free with my style and honest with my emotions, since I don’t usually plan to share their contents. The majority of art I create is a celebration of color and beauty, however two of my art journals deal with the muddy aspect of life.
I use my art journal to express myself artistically and emotionally, and it helps me through difficult life experiences. I like to balance the pages that deal with the subject of pain with those pages that describe victory and healing. I use a small artist’s sketchbook, and I add embellishments, paint, decoupage, paper manipulation and whatever else works best.
My second journal is for medical purposes to keep a daily record and track my chronic migraines, medications and symptoms. It’s a school composition book decorated with Layers of Color Fleur Heart stamp enlarged on a copier then cut out. I also used decorative tape tape, vellum, Dover bird, red ink. Only the cover and a few pages are decorated, but I feel that because of the subject, it’s important for me to have a pleasant sight for my eyes when I use it.
My newest journal is an altered book. It was born last night from a large, old art book called, “The Story of Painting.” The purpose of this journal is to document in a creative, artistic style, the story of my art stamp business. I removed the pages that had pictures I’ll use another time in other projects, then painted pages with acrylic paints. I’ll decorate it with Layers of Color stamps and journal about the creative process, inspiration and the journey I travel through this art business. I created this knowing that I’d be sharing this art journal with others. In fact, it was the idea of sharing the process that prompted me to create it. I look forward to sharing it with you.
I encourage you to create an art journal for yourself. The only rule: be honest. Make it a personal space where you can express yourself without the first thought of what someone else will think. You may choose to use it as an outlet where you can work through painful and difficult life experiences like me. Or, you can fill it with things you love and delicious eye candy to enjoy any time you need inspiration. Grab a sketchbook or an old book off your shelf and journal from your heart today!
Years ago, I started designing rubber stamps for myself when I couldn’t find the stamps I desired. It became a profession when a friend suggested I offer my designs to a local rubber stamp company. My favorite personal style didn’t match the owner’s so I created The Snappy Art Stamps line which became a hit. Eventually, I decided to start my own stamp business to offer those stamp designs that I craved as a stamper. I named it, Signature Line because it’s as personal to me as my signature. Now, not only am I excited to have this business and offer them to you, but I can hardly wait to get into the studio and play with each new set that gets in my hands!