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✩ journaling

how to begin art journaling

October 8, 2018

how to begin art journaling

I began art journaling back in 2012, right around the same time I began scrapbooking. I started out collaging in an old spiral planner I had and experimenting in a thin Moleskin I had. Eventually I found the Ning Art Journaling community and a few art journalers that I liked (unfortunately, none of them have their blogs still up except Natty Malik), but I pretty much just dove right in on my own.

There’s no right or wrong way to begin art journaling. You just have to begin. All you really need is a journal and a pen. But if you’re interested in delving deep into the craft, here are a few basic starter tips you might like to know.how to begin art journaling

Choosing your journal

Like the name entails, most people art journal in a journal. But what type of journal is left entirely up to you. A lot of people use Moleskins or other similar type of journals, and others make their own journal. With the popularity of bullet journals and traveler’s notebooks, art journaling has taken many forms, but the practice is all the same: keeping a record of your thoughts and feelings in a creative art form sort of way.

So really, there is no set type of journal you can use as an art journal. But when choosing one, consider the following: size, binding, and handmade vs. store bought.

Always choose a journal that you really like the size and feel of. There’s nothing worse than having a journal that’s either too big for your liking or too small. You’ll hate it and hate journaling in it. So take some time a consider the size you prefer before you set on just any ol’ journal.

The same goes for the binding of your journal. Do you prefer a bound journal or a spiral? How about keeping a binder art journal so that you can work on loose sheets of paper? Maybe you prefer a small pamphlet journal so you can fill one up faster? Try to consider your preference. It can be difficult, especially when you haven’t begun art journaling yet, but settle on one and if it doesn’t work, that’s an opportunity to experiment until you find what you like best.

I personally find that most art journalers prefer to make their own art journals. I know while I enjoy working in an A5 Peter Pauper Press grid notebook, I’ve been creating my own journals lately from different types of papers and have really made my last few journals entirely my own. Again, the more you get into art journaling, the clearer your process of choosing a journal will become.

how to begin art journaling

gathering your supplies

Find and gather those materials that speak to you. As I mentioned before, all you really need is a journal and a pen. But if you want to add color, gather markers, crayons, colored pencils or paints. You have your choice of pastels, watercolors, or acrylics. Or maybe you prefer using found images from magazines or books. I find that collaging is the easiest way to get into art journaling. Snip and stick pieces down. You can use magazine images, old book pages, tissue paper, wrapping paper, scrapbooking paper, paper doilies, and other random bits of ephemera you can get your hands on. The options are endless.

I personally find that my scrapbooking sometimes crosses over into my art journaling. My art journals are very heavily on the collage. For me, it’s the quickest, easiest, no mess way to art journal. I do love using my paints and mediums and such as well, but for the most part, collage is my go-to technique. So I tend to use a lot of paper materials from my scrapbooking stash. Besides the paper, I like using the die cut ephemera pieces and the stickers that you can find in most scrapbook collections. Again, there’s not right or wrong way to art journal, so the same can be said about the materials you use. Just find what works for you.

how to begin art journaling

Finding inspiration + community

One huge thing that has made me fall even more in love with art journaling is finding a community of artists to share in the hobby and passion. Today, it’s much easier to find your art tribe online through Instagram. A quick look through the art journaling tags and you’re set. But I’ve always loved a more intimate group of people and while the Ning Art Journaling community was a great start for me, I found it a bit intimidating because it was so big. Nowadays, I’m in the Get Messy Art Journal* community, which is way more my taste. It’s not a big (yet) and the site is a bit more streamlined and intuitive. Of course, you have to pay to join Get Messy, whereas the Ning group is free to join, but I personally feel so at home with Get Messy that it’s worth every penny. Not only do you get the community, but Get Messy is home to tons of inspiring tutorials and online classes for you to expand your own art journaling. Plus, the community is so amazing and encouraging. You won’t find a kinder group of artist anywhere else.

Finding your community can be hard, but both Get Messy and the Ning group are great starts for cultivating that online community. Both Instagram and Pinterest are great resources for finding tons of journal inspiration. Youtube is also excellent for find art journaling process videos, tutorials and tips. With the internet so advanced these days, there is absolutely no shortage of inspiration online. You just have to take the time to find it. Once you do, you’ll be on your way to begin art journaling.

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I made a new snippet journal. This one is 6x6 and I'm going to use it as an art journal. I really really want to get back into art journaling. Like, it has been calling me for most of this year and I just haven't gotten back into the flow of it. I've been enjoying my time (writing) journaling, but there's this nagging feeling deep inside of me that wants to get messy but for some reason refuses to begin. So I think I'm just going to make myself begin. Just start and see what happens. I'm gonna make a lot of shitty art but if that's the means to begin then so be it

 Let's go make some shitty art. 

I hope I can begin this weekend. Process video of me creating this journal is up on my Youtube channel, if you're interested.

Happy Friday lovelies! xx
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Still working through @lizelayne’s Water Your Soul course in my WYS journal. This little binder is getting so chunky! I still have lots to work through and am just merrily bouncing back and forth between lessons, anchoring myself in whatever practice my heart needs right now.
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Today’s Flip-Through Friday is my Summer Stories 2023 journal.

This is sort of a hodge-podge journal of all sorts of bits—memories, junk, photos, art journal spreads, and lots of journaling. I've kept it all summer and it's now filled and completed and ready to share.

Here's just a quick flip-through. I've got a full chatty flip up on my Youtube channel if that's more your speed.

Happy Friday loves! xx
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I finally finished filling up my 2023 Summer Stories journal. I had originally intended to only keep this one from June to July, but I didn't journal as much as I thought I would in here this summer, so it has lasted me through to the first few days of September. I'm not mad about it. I prefer a filled journal to a half-filled one. I personally hate leaving too many pages blank at the end. I'm hoping to have a flip-through up on my Youtube channel tomorrow. Just have to film it! 😆
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Just wanted to share a little look at my Water Your Soul journal that I've been keeping this year for @lizelayne's class. I'm finding that I tend to dip into the course whenever I have the time and it's never consistent. But I am so surprised at how much I've actually managed to fill in this journal!

It is mostly a mixture of the class printables and my answers to the questions, magazine clippings, quotes, and lots and LOTS of journaling, but it's been a lovely place to return to over and over again.

I was able to explore more of the lessons this past weekend when I had some time thanks to the holiday. But I think that the joy of this particular journal—and course really—is that I can return to any part of it at any time and pick up where I left off. I can work out of order and move stuff around—love the binder for this! I get it, Liz! I love how this journal is growing as I move and grow through all of the And Spaces we've been exploring—and even some other And Spaces that showed up for me too!

I can't wait to see how this journal ends up looking by the end of the year. xx
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I had one of those days today where I was so exhausted from the week but at the same time wanted to go out and do something. Ever feel that way while also knowing that you just need to rest?

I really wanted to sit in Central Park and catch up on all of my journals but I just couldn’t motivate myself to actually walk to the park. So I took myself (and the dog) down to our building’s courtyard and set up shop on the tiled patio. While there was no grass, it was very quiet out there and I was able to catch up on some journaling and continue in my Water Your Soul binder from where I left off months ago.

Past me had printed all the lovely printables @lizelayne had for every lesson that I had yet to complete, so I spent some time getting all of them into my journal. This quote in particular stood out to me today. This is me. I've dealt with perfectionism all my life and for the last 10 years, I've slowly been coming into my own person separate from the need to "be perfect."

There is no such thing as perfection. The reality that we're all so beautifully imperfect is the real truth we should all strive for.

Anyway, I hope you've all had and are having a wonderful Sunday. xx
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